Shattered Ice
by Open Casket Ceremony
Summary: Aizen, who was thought to be dead, will go to any lengths possible to get revenge against the one who ruined his life, Ichigo, even if it means turning the subsitute shinigami's lover, Hitsugaya Toshiro, against him. IchiHitsu, KusaHitsu, sequel to Smile.
1. Bargaining

Author's Note: Woohoo, I'm back with _another _IchiHitsuKusa fic, proudly announcing this as the sequel to _Smile_! And a little of Aizen x Hitsugaya as well, very one-sided though, so do not fear. Yes, Kusaka is coming back (again) in this story. No, he won't be as nice as he was in _Smile_, well, not to Ichigo, at least. Jealousy will run rampant and _many_ characters are going to die. Just a warning. My mind is love-triangle warped again ever since I re-watched _The DiamondDust Rebellion_. It was tons better than the first movie, except the part when Kusaka merged with Hyorinmaru was really fucking scary and nasty-looking, like something out of Power Rangers...So there will be quite a lot of KusaHitsu-ness in this fic, whether you like it or not, but of course, IchiHitsu will always prevail and whatever.

* * *

Weeks had passed since Aizen's infiltration of the Seireitei and the tenth division's struggle against the Arrancar. There were many casualties, but all the seated officers seemed relatively well-off, and as for Aizen, no one was really sure what had happened to him.

All that mattered was that the tenth division was flourishing.

The shinigami of the tenth division noticed that their captain had changed. The once icy and painfully austere Hitsugaya had loosened somewhat, and instead, they could see the bright, happy boy from the academy days slowly beginning to resurface.

They owed it all to Kurosaki Ichigo, the substitute shinigami who had saved their captain's life and heart.

Gossip would be flung around the tenth division, ever since the sixth seat had happened to see their captain and the substitute shinigami kissing through the office window.

Whatever the case was, though, even _if_ Hitsugaya's personality was changing, he still refused to speak about what exactly had happened during his stay in Hueco Mundo, and when asked about it, his face would turn pale and he would turn away, muttering some excuse. It was apparent that something terrible had happened to him, but no one managed to figure out what it was and why their captain seemed to be so edgy at even the slightest mention of the dreaded dimension.

Only three other people knew what the young captain had witnessed and experienced, and they were Ichigo, Hitsugaya himself, and the third…Well, he was assumed to be dead.

As such, Ichigo didn't mention what had happened in fear of frightening or making his precious little dragon uncomfortable. They did talk, though. They talked about many things, some of it being pointless, and today was no exception.

"You alright, Toshiro?"

"Yes, I'm fine, and why, may I ask, would I not be?" Hitsugaya inquired, raising an eyebrow as he looked up from his paperwork, his eyes drifting upwards to meet the chocolate-brown pair of his orange-haired lover, who had just walked into his office.

"Nothing much," Ichigo shrugged, "It's a little hot outside, so I was just wondering if you were feeling okay, that's all."

"You worry too much," Hitsugaya answered as he went back to his paperwork. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You sure?" the strawberry asked more insistently.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Positive?"

"Yes."

"One-hundred percent?"

"For the love of all things good, Ichigo, I'm perfectly alright. Why are you asking so much anyway?"

"Ah…Well, you see," Ichigo began sheepishly, looking away in embarrassment as his cheeks tinged a slight red, "I was kind of hoping that…erm, well, I was kind of hoping that you'd take a cold bath with me…"

There was a long silence.

"Even if I was feeling overheated, I would have declined," Hitsugaya snapped irritably, "You know I don't like immature things like that."

"Yeah, sorry," Ichigo chuckled, leaning downwards to plant a small kiss on the young prodigy's forehead. "Love you anyway, though."

"Whatever."

"I _would_ love you more if you took a bath with…"

The cold stare he received before he had even finished the sentence was enough to tell him that Hitsugaya Toshiro meant business as he squeaked out the last words of his statement.

"…Me…?"

"You were saying, Kurosaki…?"

"I didn't say anything," the strawberry answered innocently. "Anyway, are you busy right now? Want to go hang around the Seireitei and poke some fun at Byakuya?"

"Does it look like I'm not busy?" Hitsugaya demanded, and Ichigo let out a low whistle as he caught sight of the monstrous tower of paperwork that loomed over Hitsugaya's desk.

"Fine, fine, you're no fun," Ichigo grumbled. "Well, I'm going to use your bathroom, okay?"

"No," the white-haired boy shook his head, "You really don't want to. It smells quite awful in there, since Matsumoto was vomiting the whole morning, since she drank so much last night."

"Ah, I see," the substitute shinigami winced, "Then I'm going to use Kenpachi's bathroom, since it's the closeset, and hopefully he won't chase me down first."

With that said Ichigo hurried out the door as Hitsugaya nodded and immersed himself back in his paperwork.

Quietly, the captain of the tenth division went through the papers, filling them out as needed, knowing that Ichigo probably wouldn't return for a while, so he would have to take advantage of the time in which he wouldn't have a distraction.

As he moved on to the next sheet of paper, he suddenly became aware of a strange reiatsu, one that he definitely recognized.

The boy's aquamarine eyes widened and his grip on the calligraphy brush loosened, causing the writing utensil to fall to his desk, ink splattering sloppily across the sheet of paper.

"No…" he whispered to himself, "Impossible…It can't be _him_…"

"And yet, here I am, Hitsugaya-kun."

A startled gasp found its way past Hitsugaya's lips, and before he could utter another sound, a large hand clamped over his mouth.

The young captain's eyes were rigid with fear as another hand reached to his face, forcing him to turn to face his unwanted visitor.

The brown-haired, ex-captain of the fifth division smiled back at him.

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Hitsugaya's response was muffled.

"A…Aizen…"

"Yes, it's me, as you can see for yourself, Hitsugaya-kun," the ruler of Hueco Mundo chuckled, a most unpleasant smile on his face as he moved his hand away from his captive's mouth.

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to speak again, and a split second later, with a painful impact, he found himself being pinned by the traitor to the top of his desk, his back pressed against the oak wood as Aizen held his wrists to the surface.

"Let go of me," the boy hissed through gritted teeth, struggling uselessly against his captor.

"I don't think so," Aizen smirked, enjoying the fear he could see in those terrified, quivering teal eyes. "There is something I must speak to you about before your beloved Kurosaki boy returns."

"Let go," Hitsugaya repeated in a voice barely above a whisper.

"No. Like I said, I want a word with you. As you know, it was _that_ very Kurosaki boy who robbed me of my victory against Soul Society, and of my time with you…"

"Get to the point," the white-haired boy growled, his anger penetrating through is fear, wondering what it was that Aizen wanted with him and why he was talking about Ichigo.

"As you wish," Aizen chuckled. "Anyway, I have been finding myself craving revenge against that insolent boy who dared get in my way," he continued, one of his hands moving towards Hitsugaya's throat as he ran a finger along the sensitive flesh, his touch trailing down to the collar of his shihakusho.

Ignoring the whimpers he received due to the unwanted physical contact, Aizen continued to speak. "I've been thinking, Hitsugaya-kun, and I've decided that the one person that can help me the most…is you."

"Never," Hitsugaya snarled, "I will _never_ help you do _anything_."

"Oh?" the older man smirked, his fingers slipping beneath the fabric of the boy's kimono, causing the fearful teal orbs of his victim to widen as his touch teased the smooth flesh on the child's chest. "Perhaps you'd like to consider this then, Hitsugaya-kun. Your fiancée has already agreed to assist me, maybe you should follow his example?"

"K-Kusaka?"

"Yes, Sojiro-kun."

"But…But he…"

"Yes, I killed Sojiro-kun with my own hands…But with these hands, I had the power to bring him back, too…For your little welcome present when you return to Hueco Mundo with me."

"Kusaka would _never_ help you…"

"That's true, but I warned him that I would be sure to see to it that _you_ suffered if he refused," Aizen answered in an amused tone, "I know many ways to make you experience pain worse than anything you'd feel in hell…And the silly boy agreed at once. Now, isn't that precious? He was so worried for you that he didn't give a thought as to what would become of himself. I expect you to do the same, Hitsugaya-kun…Or do you want to see me torture those who mean the most to you? You wouldn't want Rangiku-san, dearest Hinamori-san, and Sojiro-kun to suffer because of you, would you? And you wouldn't want to see Ichigo-kun die a much more painful and slow death, would you? Isn't that selfish?"

"I-I…"

"That's what I thought," Aizen smiled, releasing Hitsugaya. "I eagerly anticipate your answer, little Hitsugaya-kun. Believe me, I can do terrible things to all of them. Meet me at the West Gate tonight, exactly at midnight. I am not a patient man, Hitsugaya-kun…And I will be expecting to hear the answer that I _want_ to hear."

With that, the man disappeared, leaving Hitsugaya to stare in silent fear at the space where he had been moments before.


	2. The Only Choice

Author's Note: Hurrah, the second chapter is now up! Well, anyway, I received comments on people asking something along the lines of "How did you watch _The DiamondDust Rebellion_?" or "Where did you watch it?" or even, "You _rewatched_ it!?" Yes, I have seen it, but I really do hate to admit that it wasn't exactly through legal means…SHHHH.

* * *

Humming a merry tune to himself, Ichigo pulled up his hakama, fastened his obi tightly around his waist, and flushed the toilet. He stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him, and hurrying off back in the direction of the tenth division, lest he be noticed soon by the owner of the bathroom he had just used.

Now, Ichigo was in a particularly light mood. He had been making trips to Soul Society more and more often, thanks to Urahara's new technology, just to see a certain white-haired captain.

As he neared the tenth division office, the strawberry was suddenly aware of a reiatsu that was very ominous indeed. It was thick, unpleasant, and it seemed to be radiating directly outwards from Hitsugaya's office.

Worry beginning to tug at his heart, he began moving faster towards the office. What exactly was going on? Was Hitsugaya alright?

However, no sooner had these thoughts flashed across his mind, the reiatsu suddenly vanished into thin air as if it had never been there before.

"That's odd," he muttered as he hurried to the office doors and pulled them open.

"Toshiro?" he called out, "Is everything alright in there? I just felt…"

His words trailed off as he caught sight of Hitsugaya. His eyes; their usual haughty air was gone and had been replaced with the hollow appearance of fear.

"Toshiro?"

At the sound of his name being called for the second time, the juuban tai taichou turned to look at Ichigo, trying hurriedly to erase any signs of a harrowing experience from his face.

"What reiatsu?" he asked, and it hurt Ichigo deeply to see such a false smile on his little lover's face. How could he expect him to be convinced if his facial expression did not match his eyes?

"Toshiro, what happened?"

"Nothing, Ichigo, nothing happened."

"Are you sure? I could have sworn I felt this really weird reiatsu."

"Yes, I assure you, everything's…everything's fine," Hitsugaya insisted, turning away from the concerned strawberry. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while. I have to finish this paperwork…"

Ichigo frowned. This was unlike his dear ice prince. Although it didn't seem as such, he knew that Hitsugaya would never shoo him from his office.

"What's wrong, huh, Toshiro?" he pressed on insistently, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, it's just that I'm stressed because of this paperwork. You know how it is."

"Alright, if you say so," Ichigo muttered, turning away, hurt that Hitsugaya would lie to him so obviously. He had noticed that the boy had already flown through his work and only a few sheets were left to complete. "Well, call me if you need me…"

"I'm sorry, Ichigo, I…"

"No, it's alright, I'll leave."

Hitsugaya watched Ichigo exit the office, the doors closing behind him with a loud bang.

The young captain let out an audible sigh as he reached into his desk to get a clean sheet of paper. He hadn't meant to upset or turn the strawberry away, but it was for his own good.

He stared quietly at the blank sheet of paper before he began to write.

The minutes passed, and the office was enveloped in complete silence as Hitsugaya finally finished up the material. He folded it, wrote the name of his assistant captain on it so she would know it was meant for her, and stood up.

Hitsugaya knew that the decision he had made was his only option. If he could, he wouldn't, but he had no choice.

With another sigh, he quietly removed the tenth division haori from his shoulders, folded it, and placed it on the desktop next to the note he had just completed.

His eyes drifted to the clock. The night was still fairly young, but he knew that the sooner he left, the better. It would take him quite some time to travel to his destination.

Then, slinging Hyorinmaru over his shoulder, he quietly slipped out of the office doors and hurried off into the rapidly approaching darkness of the night.

* * *

Matsumoto Rangiku was a happy woman.

She had just enjoyed herself immensely at a drinking party with the ninth division, and now, as she staggered back towards her own division, cheeks flushed with the affects of alcohol, she wasn't even thinking about what her captain would say to her ditching work to drink.

As she opened the doors, the first thing she noticed was that the office was empty and dark.

"That's weird," she said aloud, "Where's taichou?"

With a shrug, she closed the doors behind her and flipped on the light switch.

The fact that she couldn't even feel her captain's reiatsu was enough to sober her up. This meant that he hadn't just left or he wasn't merely out getting some fresh air or at a captain's meeting.

He had already been gone for at least six hours.

That was extremely unlike her work-a-holic captain. Normally, he would shut himself in the office twenty-four seven, taking care of administrative business if he wasn't on a mission or at assembly.

That was when she noticed two items left on the desk.

Matsumoto's heart froze with dread as her ash-colored eyes caught sight of the abandoned haori, folded neatly and left to sit upon the desk.

Next to it was a folded note addressed to her.

Her eyebrows crinkling in confusion and worry, the fukutaichou of the tenth division slowly reached to the desk, picking up the paper and unfolding it before scanning the words it revealed.

_Matsumoto – _

_I will be away for a while. Do not expect me to return anytime soon. _

_I have finished most of this week's paperwork, so I will be expecting you to finish it. Take care of the paperwork for the following weeks as well. Make sure to keep the office neat and that the rest of the division is in order. I will allow you full commanding powers, as I expect you to substitute for me in overseeing the affairs of this division. If you need assistance, please ask the third seat. Try not to drink too much; it's bad for your health. _

_Furthermore, I would like to ask you to inform the sotaichou that I am resigning my position as the tenth division captain. Given the current circumstances, I am afraid that I may not be able to return to Soul Society ever again. Please do not attempt to track me or communicate with me. _

_I am sorry if this is too much to ask of you, Matsumoto, but I trust that you will do a good job in my stead. It has been my honor to work with you and to serve under the Gotei 13. _

_Also, please tell Ichigo that I am very sorry, and goodbye. Do not let him try to come after me. Please let him know that I love him very much as well._

_Your Former Captain. _

Matsumoto's eyes widened in panic as she finished reading the letter.

"Taichou…where have you gone?" she murmured before tucking the letter into her robes and hurrying out of the office, the discarded haori clutched tightly to her chest.

If there was someone else that had to know about her captain's deliberate disappearance at once, then it was Kurosaki Ichigo.

* * *

As the night wore on, one by one, each division began to tune out for the night, the lights all flickering and dimming.

Masked by this darkness and being sure to keep his reiatsu carefully sealed, Hitsugaya had finally reached his destination, the West Gate.

He knew that Jidanbo was on the other side, and thus, he would have to take extra care so that the giant would not become aware of his departure.

As Hitsugaya's movement slowed to a quiet walk, his eyes peering through the darkness caught sight of the person who he had been expecting to be waiting for him.

"So you came, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen spoke, his falsely warm voice chilling Hitsugaya down to the bone more effectively than something even below freezing ever would. "Have you decided?"

The white-haired boy nodded.

"I have."

"Very well, then, let's hear your answer."

Inhaling deeply, Hitsugaya spoke.

"Under the conditions you promised to me…I pledge my life and loyalty to you…Aizen."


	3. Heartless

Author's Note: Yahoo, and here we have the third chapter! I told you I'd be able to update more frequently! As you will be able to see, Kusaka will start changing soon…No more Mr. Nice Guy, sort of. You'll have to wait to see what happens and what the deal with him is.

* * *

As Hitsugaya followed Aizen and stepped out of the garganta, he felt the familiar wave of uneasiness wash over him as his feet met solid ground.

He was in Las Noches again.

Several Arrancar had gathered to watch their leader's return, and only a few of them seemed surprised to see Hitsugaya following closely behind as the gaping rip in the air disappeared.

"As you probably know, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen spoke, "You came with me on your free will. As such, you have no reason to return to Soul Society, as they will see you as a traitor anyway and only death will await you. You may as well accept Las Noches as your new home now. I'm sure you are upset, Hitsugaya-kun, but I hope you will find my palace to be comfortable enough."

Hitsugaya remained quiet.

"Nothing to say?" Aizen asked.

Hitsugaya shook his head.

"Very well then," the older man continued, "Then I suppose you'll want to see Sojiro-kun now. I'm sure he'll be happy to know that you, too, have chosen to join me."

With a brief nod, the white-haired prodigy quietly followed Aizen out of the room and down a dank and narrow corridor, descending a flight of stairs down to the lower levels.

The further they moved, the bleaker it became, and the aura of death intensified.

Finally, Aizen stopped in front of a room, and he opened the door, revealing the room to be a dungeon or confinement unit of sort. Whatever the case was, it was enough to send yet another uncomfortable shudder down Hitsugaya's spine.

Each cell was either eerily empty or contained the skeletal remains of some unfortunate victim.

As they moved forward, Aizen finally stopped in front of one of the many cells, inserting a key into the lock, giving it a twist and opening the barred iron door. With a movement of his hand, the ruler of Hueco Mundo indicated for Hitsugaya to enter.

As he did so, the man closed the door and locked it, pocketing the key. "I'll see you later, Hitsugaya-kun," he smiled, "Don't worry, I don't intend on harming you much…You'd be useless to me if you were dead."

With that, he departed, his footsteps echoing through the deserted corridors and fading out of earshot.

That was when Hitsugaya noticed that there was another figure, huddled in the cell's corner.

The figure looked upwards with dull eyes, revealing himself to be a young man with an achingly familiar face and raven-colored hair.

"K-Kusaka…?"

Since Hitsugaya had last seen him, his old friend and fiancée had become much more thin and gaunt. His eyes were wary and his sharp, pale features were ridden with worry.

"Toshiro," he breathed, "You came…?"

The white-haired boy nodded slowly. "Yes, Kusaka," he murmured. "I came."

"Thank goodness you're alright," Kusaka answered, taking the smaller boy in his arms and embracing him tightly. "I was worried that Aizen wouldn't keep his promise…I'm sorry, Toshiro, I know you don't want me to do this to Ichigo-kun. I don't either, especially after all he's done for us….But it's the only way."

"I know," Hitsugaya answered quietly, "That's why I came here…Because it's my only choice."

"I'm sorry, Toshiro. This is my entire fault, isn't it…?"

"No," he replied, "Nothing's your fault, Kusaka. Don't apologize. You've been blaming yourself too much. Look at yourself; you've gotten so thin…"

There was another silence.

"Look, Toshiro," Kusaka spoke, breaking the silence, "I know what Aizen did to you the last time you were here and what he will do to you again. I didn't know what to do, but now, I've resolved to protect you. I swear on my own life that I will _never_ let him hurt you like he did, ever again."

"Kusaka…"

"…There's one thing I need to ask you, Toshiro."

"I'm listening."

"I know you and I have been going our separate ways for a while. I know you're probably fed up with it by now, and so am I. This time, though, I don't intend on leaving you. Tell me, Toshiro…are you still willing to…?"

"To marry you?" Hitsugaya finished quietly.

"…I guess."

There was another long and painful pause before Hitsugaya finally answered.

"I…I am, Kusaka."

The raven-haired youth smiled weakly, reaching over to take Hitsugaya's hand tightly in his own. "You're hesitating, Toshiro. Why is that?"

"I-It's nothing."

"I know it's really sudden, but let's do it now, Toshiro. We don't need a fancy ceremony or anything like that, we don't even need witnesses. I just need your word for it."

"Alright," Hitsugaya answered quietly, looking down to the floor, his grip on Kusaka's hand tightening ever-so-slightly. "Do you, Kusaka Sojiro, accept me…as your dutiful p…partner?"

"Yes," Kusaka murmured, "And do you, Hitsugaya Toshiro, accept me as _your_ partner…?"

Hitsugaya breathed inwards, his lips parting, but no sound came out. This felt so wrong. He knew that he had committed himself to Kusaka long ago by agreeing to marry him on a childish whim, and a part of him wanted to accept it in its entirety, but he also knew that no matter how you looked at it, this was a direct betrayal to Ichigo. Since Kusaka's death, he and Ichigo had begun seeing each other, and he knew that the strawberry would do anything for him. Throwing his trust away like this was such a cold-hearted thing of him to do. Everything was so complicated. In the ideal situation, his fiancée wasn't supposed to come back from the dead. He was supposed to be able to move on. But things didn't work ideally, and he was now chained back down to his past in an inescapable prison. Nevertheless, he had already made up his mind that affiliating himself with Ichigo, no matter how painful it seemed, would result in negative consequences to the orange-haired shinigami. He couldn't make that gamble; not something so selfish. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps it would be easier to try and forget about him. It hurt terribly, but he knew that he should never see Ichigo ever again, lest he end up having to kill him.

As a solitary tear slipped past his dark lashes, the prodigy finally uttered his response.

"I…I do."

There was another long and painful silence.

"Toshiro, what's wrong?" Kusaka asked, "We've been waiting for more than fifty years for this. What's with the glum face?"

"I-I'm sorry, Kusaka, I should have told you earlier," Hitsugaya stammered, his eyes casting downwards to the floor.

"Told me what?" Kusaka demanded, his tone hardening. "What are you talking about?"

"Ichigo and I," he whispered, not daring to look up at his new husband of sorts, "We…"

"What?" he asked sharply, anger and impatience ebbing at the edge of his voice. "Just spit it out already, Toshiro."

"I was dating him," Hitsugaya managed to answer, "I-I didn't know that you…"

"You _what_?"

"I…"

"No, I heard you, Toshiro," Kusaka answered, his voice dangerously cold and quiet. "I just can't believe you didn't tell me until now. How could you do this to me, Toshiro? How could you do this to Ichigo-kun?"

"I'm sorry, Kusaka," Hitsugaya answered frantically, in a voice that was almost pleading. "I didn't realize that-"

"Don't apologize to me!" he snapped, "Apologize to Ichigo-kun! If you were with him, you shouldn't have agreed to marry me! How do you think he'd feel if he ever found out that you did this to him!? How do you think _I_ feel after I realize you've been lying to me this whole time!?"

"I…I thought you'd understand…"

"Well, yeah, I understand!" Kusaka shouted angrily, "Of course I understand what you think of Ichigo-kun and me now! So you think we're disposable, huh!? I should have expected this from you…I mean, you can call him comfortably by his given name, but why can't you do the same for me!? Is he better than me or something!? Just tell me if you don't love me anymore!"

"N-No! That's not what I meant…Kusaka, please…"

"Please?" he repeated, his voice rising as the temperature began to drop, "Please what? Please forgive you for being such a heartless _bitch_!?" As he said this, without another word and without warning, Kusaka swiftly slapped Hitsugaya across the face as hard as he could.

The white-haired boy's eyes widened and a small gasp of pain escaped his lips as his hand flew to his burning cheek. He said nothing, merely keeping his trembling gaze glued to the floor.

The silence that followed was nearly as painful as the impact of the blow.

"T-Toshiro, I'm so sorry," Kusaka murmured, gently putting his arms back around the trembling boy. "I don't know what came over me, I…I guess I was just overreacting. You know I would never do _anything_ to hurt you…"

"No, I should be the one apologizing," Hitsugaya answered, biting his lip. "I…I'm such a despicable person…You deserve so much better than this…"

"You're fine the way you are, Toshiro," Kusaka insisted reassuringly, "I know you don't want anyone to feel like you've abandoned them. I guess I'll just have to trust your decisions from now on, as your partner for life, alright?"

"I…I guess…"

Hitsugaya truly wanted to believe that Kusaka meant what he said. He wanted, with all his heart, to believe that everything was as simple as he had put it. Whatever the case was, though, he knew that the old Kusaka from their academy days was long gone, and he was never getting him back.

1


	4. Moving Out

Author's Note: Uh, again, regarding my means of watching the movie...Like I said, it wasn't legal and I don't want to get into the details, just in case. Let's just put it this way...It involved my cousin and a video camera.  
Furthermore, I do realize that my ramblings on Hitsugaya's thoughts were a bit confusing, so I will now attempt to clear it up. What it means is that he thinks that he _should not_ see Ichigo ever again, because if he _does_, that probably means having to kill him. I hope that clears things up, and sorry if my logic kind of lost you guys there. Also, do keep in mind that this _is _the sequel to _Smile, _so if you haven't read it yet, be sure to before you read any further...Anyways, on to the next chapter!

* * *

"So, tell me, Toshiro, why did you come here anyway?"

"It's complicated," Hitsugaya sighed. "I didn't want to, originally, but Aizen threatened to make Ichigo's death worse for him, or something like that. I couldn't refuse, otherwise...Well, it would be selfish of me."

"I get it now," Kusaka muttered, "So it's Ichigo-kun's fault you've been forced to come back here."

"No, it's not anyone's fault," the younger white-haired boy protested, "I was the one who made the decision to do as Aizen asked me."

"That may be true, but no matter how you look at it, it's still _his _fault," Kusaka replied bluntly. "If it weren't for him, then you wouldn't have agreed to come here to Hueco Mundo. That's just how it is, Toshiro."

Kusaka had a point, Hitsugaya supposed, but even so, it wasn't right for him to blame Ichigo for the recent chain of events. It wasn't like the strawberry had done anything intentional or as if he had wanted this to happen. Whatever the case was, though, it scared Hitsugaya to know that Kusaka was acting like this. It was highly unlike him, to be making a scapegoat out of someone else. Be it jealousy, contempt, or something else, it didn't feel like the Kusaka he _had_ known from before.

At that moment, the sounds of footsteps echoing from the corridor brough both of the shinigamis' attentions towards the region directly outside the cell they had been confined to.

On the other side of the bleak iron bars, as expected, stood Aizen Sosuke.

His eyes narrowing, Kusaka slowly moved himself in front of Hitsugaya, which seemed to be quite amusing to the ex-taichou of the fifth division.

"Well, it does seem that the two of you have enjoyed your little reunion," Aizen smiled, looking at the two with malevolently smug eyes. "Anyway, since that's been taken care of, although it may seem sudden, I'd like to ask the two of you to do me a favor."

"What do you want?" Kusaka demanded, seeming to be completely unafraid of the man despite the fact that he knew, very well, that both of their lives were entirely dependent on Aizen's mercy.

"Nothing much, a very simple task," chuckled the traitor, "I want you two to go to Soul Society. I'm afraid it would be inconvenient to send an Arrancar, after all, no one knows the Seireitei better than a shinigami, correct?"

"And what exactly is it that you expect us to do?"

"Like I said, nothing difficult at all. All I want the two of you to do is to assess the current fighting ability of Ichigo-kun. Don't kill him quite yet. It is not the time to do that, but don't worry, the time will come soon enough. However, if you run into any other shinigami, eliminate them at once, lest they find out about our intentions and slip a word to the sotaichou."

"If that is what you are planning," Hitsugaya spoke, "Then why is it not the same with Ichigo?"

"Rest assured," Aizen chuckled, "I'm sure he'll keep his mouth shut about it, given he can figure things out...He'd do anything for your sake...isn't that right, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Hitsugaya blinked, a soft sigh escaping his lips in a fashion that was barely audible. This seemed to have a different effect on Kusaka, however; the raven-haired youth actually was starting to look quite pissed off.

"Okay, kill everyone we run into except for Ichigo-kun, we've got it," he muttered darkly, "How soon can we head out?"

"Eager, are we? Very well, if you two would follow me now, I shall arrange for your immediate transport to Soul Society."

* * *

"...What the hell?"

Ichigo was staring at the letter in his hands with disbelief, as Matsumoto watched his facial expression, her own happening to be very distraught.

"I honestly don't know what taichou was thinking," she answered glumly, "He never mentioned anything about resigning or leaving...All of a sudden, he was just...well, _gone_."

"Why would he do this?" the orange-haired subsitute shinigami murmured, his hand clenching around the sheet of paper that contained Hitsugaya's last message to them. "Where the hell did he go?"

"As if I would know!" the said departee's fukutaichou retorted. "I have no idea what's going on, Ichigo-kun, I was hoping you would know where he went and why..."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I don't," he muttered.

Just moments ago, he had been minding his own business, heading off to the sixth division to have a chat with Renji. Matsumoto had suddenly come out of nowhere, looking extremely distressed and saying that she had been looking for him all over the place. She had shown him the haori and the note, and what its contents revealed.

Come to think of it, he thought, Hitsugaya _had_ been acting somewhat strangely the last time he had seen him before his sudden disappearance.

"Do you think we should ask the sotaichou to arrange a search party...?"

"No!" Ichigo snapped, "We can't do that! The old man can _not_ know about Toshiro leaving Soul Society. He'd be considered a traitor, and you know what that means..."

"I understand," Matsumoto answered dejectedly, "But there's not much else we can do, you know..."

At that moment, there was a sudden, abnormal shift in the spiritual composition of the air around them. It felt as if something, or someone, was forcing their way through and into the dimension.

"What was that?"

"No clue. We'd better check it out."

As the two of them began to set off towards the general area of the change, Matsumoto suddenly stopped. "Wait," she called to Ichigo, "I...I can feel the spirutual pressure of Hyorinmaru..."

"Hyorinmaru?" Ichigo repeated, "Where?"

Matsumoto frowned, her ash-colored eyes narrowing. "I don't know," she murmured, "I can feel it from both the left and the right..."

"What did you say?"

"I don't know what's going on," Matsumoto answered, "But we should split up. You take the right, and I'll take the left. Head towards the reiatsu."

"Got it."

And with that, they took off in their own seperate ways.


	5. Accusations and Confrontations

Author's Note: Yes, I am aware that the action in the story is moving very quickly, and that's the point because I have to get everything covered within twenty chapters!

* * *

Ichigo would admit it; he sucked at sensing reiatsu.

One part of his mind told him to go one way, and the other told him to go the exact opposite. It was starting to frustrate him, but his determination to get to the bottom of things was exactly what was driving him forward.

He didn't know why Hyorinmaru's spiritual pressure could be felt in two different directions. It seriously confused him even more so than he already was.

"Dammit, Toshiro," he growled under his breath, "What the hell're you thinking? What are you trying to do?"

Furthermore, the rip that had appeared in the air wasn't an ordinary method of transportation. It was a garganta, the way to be transported into Soul Society used by those in Hueco Mundo.

So, if that was the case, was the source of this reiatsu coming in from Hueco Mundo?

He frankly had no idea what was going on or what to do. All he knew was that he had to find the source of this reiatsu and get to the bottom of this mess.

The feeling of being near this certain icy presence was intensifying as he ran, so Ichigo knew he had to be getting close to whatever was causing it.

He came to a stop upon a rooftop, his feet hitting the tiles as he looked at the rooftop directly across from him.

There stood a young man with raven hair, probably not much older than himself. It had been a while since he had last seen this person, but the strawberry recognized him at once.

"Sojiro?"

Well, that explained the fact that they were able to feel two seperate spiritual pressures of Hyorinmaru. Then that meant that Hitsugaya had to be somewhere in the Seireitei as well.

The man looked up at him, and a shudder ran down the strawberry's spine. It was very similar to Hitsugaya's reiatsu, but it bore such icy malevolence that he knew at once his intentions weren't exactly friendly. It was totally different than what he remembered him having from before. Besides, if he remembered correctly, wasn't this guy supposed to be dead...?

"Well, I'm honored to know that you remembered my name, Ichigo-kun," Kusaka spoke coldly.

Ichigo ignored this bitterly sarcastic statement, instead, blurting out, "Sojiro, you know where Toshiro is, don't you!?"

"And what if I do?"

"Tell me," the strawberry shot back, aware that this wasn't going to be a stroll in the park, "Tell me. Where is he?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He resisted the urge to break out Zangetsu, because he knew that starting a fight would waste precious time. "You came from Hueco Mundo, didn't you?"

"Well, aren't you the smart one?" Kusaka answered in mock praise, and now, Ichigo noticed that the young man's hand was on the hilt of his zanpaku-to. "I'm not going to tell you anything. All you need to know, _Kurosaki Ichigo_," he spat as if his name was like poison in his mouth, "Is that it's _your_ fault Toshiro was taken to Hueco Mundo again."

"He was taken back!?" Ichigo spluttered. "B-By who!?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Aren't you going to help him then!? Aren't you going to help him escape!?"

"No," was his blunt reply, "I can't. There's no way. And besides, Ichigo-kun, Toshiro's with _us_ now, not you or the rest of Soul Society. He chose for it to be like this, and if you get in his way, I _will_ kill you."

"I-I don't understand," the strawberry protested, "Why are you saying things like that? Are you expecting me to let Toshiro do this to himself?"

"What Toshiro chooses to do is none of your damn business," Kusaka snarled, "In case you didn't know, Ichigo-kun, Toshiro is married to me now. You have no right to interfere in our business. Stay _away_ from him, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"What!?"

"You heard me."

"Look," Ichigo growled, "I don't know what your problem is, Sojiro, but I know you're not stupid. It's like you don't want Toshiro to leave Hueco Mundo. I mean, isn't that the worst place for him to be?"

"You're exactly right, Ichigo-kun," the raven-haired man replied, "That's exactly what I want. The further away from you he is, the better chance he has to stay out of harm. Don't forget what I told you. This is _your_ fault. _You're_ the one who's been causing all this pain and trouble for Toshiro. I won't forgive you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"I didn't do anything!" he retorted angrily. "If you'll just listen to me, I'm sure we can figure out a way to..."

"I warned you," Kusaka hissed, "If you get in Toshiro's way, I'll kill you myself!"

"Wha-"

Before he could even finish uttering the rest of that single word, Ichigo found himself being forced to jerk Zangetsu from his back, swinging it in front of him to block the katana blow that was aimed at his throat.

"What the hell are you doing!? Are you fucking crazy or something!?"

"Do you want the best for Toshiro?"

"Well, yeah," Ichigo answered, "But I don't..."

"Exactly. If you care so much about him, you'll just either swear you'll stay away from him...or you can die here."

* * *

As Matsumoto hurried through the twists and turns of the complicated maze of buildings known as the Seireitei, she became aware of it.

That is, the fact that Ichigo had engaged himself in a fight with one of the sources of the reiatsu. The bursts of spiritual pressure slicing through the air was proof.

Also, other shinigami seemed to have noticed the disturbances in the usually stable spiritual composition of the Seireitei's atmosphere.

In fact, many shinigami, on the command of their captains, were scurrying along like busy bees, all heading to either of the two sources of the reiatsu.

She suddenly stopped, spying the painfully familiar form of a small, white-haired boy on the ground somewhere underneath the rooftop she had been running along.

Matsumoto leapt from her position, landing on the ground behind the boy, who turned to look at her, seeming to be emotionally unaffected by her arrival.

"T-Taichou...?"

"Matsumoto..."

"Taichou, what's going on? Where did you..."

Her words trailed off as her former captain disappeared, reappearing directly behind her. Seconds later, her heart seemed to freeze in her chest as she felt the cool steel blade of a katana pressing against the back of her neck.

The blade nicked her flesh as she slowly turned her head, a droplet of blood running downwards.

"Taichou...?"

"I am no longer your captain, Matsumoto," he spoke in such an icily assured voice that she wasn't sure who she was talking to: her beloved captain, or a cold-hearted monster? "And such, you have no reason to refer to me with that title."

"But, taichou-"

"Weren't you listening to me, Matsumoto? Do not affiliate yourself with me any longer, unless you wish to die."

Matsumoto ignored him. She knew Hitsugaya as her beloved "taichou," not this cold-hearted enemy to Soul Society that he had suddenly became. Calling him anything else but "taichou" felt terribly wrong, and despite his threats, she simply could not do as told.

"Taichou," she continued, turning to look the boy directly in the eyes. She had to show him she wasn't afraid and that she would not back down. "Taichou, do you realize what you've done? Where have you been all this time? Ichigo-kun has been worried sick about him. Do you know how much this is hurting him? Is this what you want...taichou?"

Hitsugaya blinked, slowly lowering his katana, and the strawberry blonde woman could have sword she saw guilt flashing across her former captain's unreadable teal eyes.

"No," he finally answered softly, "You don't understand, Matsumoto. The reason why I have to do this is so he _doesn't_ get hurt...well, not as badly, anyway...The same goes for you, Matsumoto. I was ordered to kill every shinigami I ran into..."

"Ordered? Ordered by who?"

"Who else, Matsumoto?"

"Ai...Aizen-taichou?"

"Precisely. Listen to me, Matsumoto. No one must know that you and I met here. I want you to stay as far away from me and Kusaka as you can."

"Sojiro-kun's here, too?"

"Yes. Do not, under any condition, approach either of us. I don't want to kill you, Matsumoto. If you value your life, I advise that you do as I ask you."

"I can't just abandon you, taichou!" she protested. "I..."

"I'm sorry, Matsumoto. There's nothing I can do."

And with these words, he was gone, leaving no proof of him ever being there, save the slight amount of frozen teardrops on the cold ground.


	6. Cold Deception

Author's Note: Well, I received a comment, asking something along the lines of "If Aizen wants revenge against Ichigo, then why doesn't he want to kill him yet?" The answer, I'm afraid I didn't make too clear in the previous chapter. Basically, Aizen wants the satisfaction of killing our hero by himself. Kusaka and Hitsugaya are merely his tools to assess Ichigo's strength and to help him out when needed. And aww, this chapter was a little depressing to write...

* * *

For the most part, Ichigo and Kusaka seemed to be on fairly even par.

For one thing, despite his threats, Ichigo found that Kusaka wasn't trying to fight back, instead, merely parrying and blocking each swing of Zangetsu. This was not to be taken for granted, however. When he'd stop striking for even a second longer than allowing himself time to reposition, he would find his raven-haired adversary making sudden movements, and now, he was bleeding on various places of the body, though not seriously.

Kusaka was not aiming to kill him.

So what exactly _was_ he doing?

"Well, I don't suppose you're going to start getting serious anytime soon, are you?" Ichigo demanded. Kusaka was a skilled fighter, but the wounds he was inflicting were all superficial. It was almost as if he was toying with him, waiting how he would react to each new injury.

"Trust me, Kurosaki Ichigo," he laughed coldly, "When I start fighting seriously, you'll be done for. I would watch my mouth and not say such rash things."

"Don't get conceited!" the strawberry retorted with a frustrated huff of breath, "If you're going to fight me, then you'd better damn well get serious."

"Oh?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, if that's what you want, then I suppose I will be kind and do you this little favor. Don't forget though, you were the one who asked for this."

Ichigo nodded, his grip on Zangetsu tightening as he took a step back, not wanting to get caught in the violent release of spiritual energy that came with a shikai.

As Kusaka raised his katana, Ichigo could literally feel the coldness radiating outwards from him. A shudder ran down his spine; this coldness was all too familiar to him.

Ice began to crystallize, swirling around the blade as the sky began to darken. Even the ground was slowly starting to freeze over with a thin layer of the icy matter.

"Soten ni zase-"

"Kusaka, that's enough."

Both Ichigo and Kusaka blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance by none other than Hitsugaya Toshiro himself, who now stood between the pair, a hand resting on the blade of Kusaka's katana to stop his shikai.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo called out to the boy, his chocolate-colored eyes instantly becoming washed with a fierce wave of concern.

"Kurosaki…"

This was all it took for Ichigo's heart to sink faster than a rock dropped into a lake.

Over the weeks, Hitsugaya had become comfortable by addressing the orange-haired substitute shinigami by his given name. However, this sudden switch back to his family name was proof that he no longer regarded him as someone close to him – Just another Joe-Schmoe shinigami among the thousands in the Seireitei.

"Toshiro," Ichigo continued, clenching his fists as he placed Zangetsu back across his back, "What did you think you were doing, leaving without telling me first?"

"I never meant to tell you, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya replied, "I didn't mean to see you here, either. At any rate, it's time for Kusaka and me to leave now. We have no reason to stay any longer."

"I don't understand!" Ichigo shouted angrily, "Do you have any idea how worried I've been for you!? You could have been killed for all I knew! Why are you doing this!?"

"Why am I doing this?" the white-haired former captain repeated, his gaze slowly rising to meet the enraged strawberry's. "Because I want to."

Their eyes locked during that brief moment, and it left Ichigo simply speechless and heartbroken. He knew that Hitsugaya was perfectly aware of what he was doing and what the consequences were. He knew exactly how terribly he was torturing the substitute shinigami, and yet, he did nothing about it.

"Why do you want to?" he ventured.

Hitsugaya looked away for a moment, turning away from Kusaka to face Ichigo. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Kurosaki," he began, his voice faltering the slightest, "But the only reason why I am doing this…is because I love you."

"That doesn't make sense!" Ichigo retorted angrily. "Toshiro, please! Explain to me what's going on! If you don't, how do you expect me to help you!?"

"Shut up, Ichigo-kun," Kusaka interrupted, "Like I already told you, it's my choice and Toshiro's choice, not yours. You have no business with either of us. Don't forget…_I_ am the one married to Toshiro now, not you. He doesn't need your help; that's _my_ job." He turned back to Hitsugaya, and at this point, yet another pitch-black tear was appearing in the cloudless sky of the Seireitei. "Let's go, Toshiro. Like you said, we have no reason to stay any longer. We've done what Aizen's asked us to."

Hitsugaya started after Kusaka towards the garganta, and furious, Ichigo made a move to follow.

"Kurosaki, come here for a moment," Hitsugaya said quietly, stopping and turning back around.

Ichigo faltered. He hadn't been expecting this, but slowly, he made his way towards Hitsugaya, wondering what he could possibly be thinking.

He slowly arrived at a stop in front of the boy as Kusaka watched on through suspiciously narrowed eyes.

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya spoke again, "I'm sorry."

"Toshi-"

Before he could finish his sentence, much to the strawberry's surprise, the former captain of the tenth division suddenly leaned forward, standing on his tip-toes to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

Ichigo didn't know why, but an overpowering wave of nausea ran through his body at the contact, as if Hitsugaya's lips were poisoned. Usually, he didn't mind a kiss or two, but this felt different. It wasn't an act of affection, it was something else. Something, though he didn't know exactly what, was horribly, horribly wrong…

And that was when he felt the katana slicing clear through his midsection, tearing through flesh and muscle with cruelly swift accuracy.

Slowly, Hitsugaya pulled away from Ichigo, and as the strawberry looked downwards, choking in pain, he could clearly see the boy holding the katana that had him impaled upon like a strawberry kabob.

"T-Toshiro…" he rasped, blood filling the back of his mouth, choking him as he struggled to speak, the pain in his abdominal region so unbearable that he was beginning to feel light-headed. However, compared to the searing feeling of his heart being torn to pieces, this pain was nothing. He realized why Hitsugaya had kissed him – it was his cruel, deceiving way of distracting him so he wouldn't notice him unsheathing his weapon – and he had fallen for it.

He had to have something, anything, to end this mind-crushing pain. It was only worsened as he began to feel an achingly familiar coldness begin to fill his body and mind – He was being frozen from the inside by Hyorinmaru.

As gently as he could, Hitsugaya pulled the katana out from him with a sickening sound of tearing bodily tissue and cracking ice.

"This is for your own good," the white-haired boy whispered, "This way, I can be sure you'll be hospitalized so you won't try to come for me. Don't worry, Kurosaki, it won't kill you – I've sealed your arteries with ice so you won't bleed to death."

"Toshi…Toshiro…" Ichigo managed to croak, choking on the blood that was bubbling in the back of his throat as he sank weakly to his knees. "You can't…You can't do this…"

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya answered softly, "But this…I-It's the only way. If you will excuse me now…" his voice trailed off, and he turned away quickly so Ichigo would not have to see the icy tears pooling in his guilty teal eyes.

That was the last Ichigo saw of him before both he and Kusaka disappeared into the gaping darkness of the garganta, and then everything for him, too, went completely dark.

1


	7. Contemplations and Revelations

Author's Note: Hurrah, it appears as that pendulum-whatever story arc (in the manga) has finally ended! We finally get to see the shinigami and the Arrancar get down to business next week! I'm excited, aren't you? I'm also aware they are now playing _Memories of Nobody_ in select American theaters…word of advice; don't watch it. It was a bad movie (that's coming from a Bleach fan, so you know how bad it was) and the dubbing can only make it worse. Unless, of course, you want to support Mr. Kubo and the foreign promotion of his work. That's a good thing, so do whatever you want, I guess. Just prepare to throw up when you hear Hitsugaya's awful manly-man dubbed voice.

* * *

When Ichigo opened his eyes, he found himself to be somewhere else, probably in the fourth division's clinic, a place well-known to him because of his past visits.

With a groan of pain, he tried to sit up, failing miserably and flopping back onto the plush mattress of the hospital bed he was in.

Upon further investigation, he found that he was bandaged heavily around his abdominal and chest region, and someone, much to his humiliation, had stuck a band-aid with a dinosaur print on it to the small wound on his forehead.

It was about then that the reality of the events that had happened before he had landed himself in the fourth division struck him head on.

It was hard to describe how he felt – It was a jumbled and complicated mixture of anger, hate, disbelief, frustration, and depression. In his mind, he analyzed each of these emotions, one by one, in his mind.

Hate. Ah, yes, the strawberry was boiling on the inside with sheer hate; hate for Aizen, who had taken Hitsugaya away and hate for Kusaka, who was so stubbornly defending Hitsugaya's decision to comply with Aizen's orders.

"Seriously," Ichigo muttered aloud to himself, "That stupid dickhead…Too protective for his own good. It makes me _sick_, that stupid, clingy bastard…He claims he wants the best for Toshiro, but his concept of 'best' is so screwed up…"

He knew it was a little harsh of him to say such things about someone who had previously saved his ass back in Hueco Mundo, but above all, he hated Hitsugaya Toshiro for leaving him without explaining why.

Anger. Of course, Ichigo was angry. Not only was he angry at all the people listed above for the exact reasons why he was feeling such intense hate for, but in addition, he was also furious with himself.

"I'm so stupid…" he muttered, staring at the ceiling. "How could I let them get away? And besides, even though I didn't get what he was saying, if what Sojiro said was true, then isn't this all my own fault anyway?"

Disbelief. The situation was real enough, but to the substitute shinigami, he couldn't help but wish it wasn't. He was almost expecting Hitsugaya to pop into the room at any second, sick with worry. He was always at his side when he was wounded, wasn't he? But this was not one of those times, and he found himself aching for that familiar voice, although harsh, practically ordering him to get better soon or else.

Frustration. Ichigo had plenty of reasons to be crazy with frustration. There was his own lack of ability to keep Hitsugaya in Soul Society, for instance.

"Why am I so goddamn weak?" he asked himself, still staring at the ceiling as if something magical was going to happen. "If I was stronger, I'd be able to save Toshiro, instead of letting him run back to Hueco Mundo, right?"

Lastly, it all funneled down into depression. Hitsugaya was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. Fortunately, as he had resigned himself from being a shinigami, there was nothing Central 46 could do about it, but that was beyond the point. Everything Hitsugaya had said to him and done to him the last time he had seen him had permanently slashed wounds into his heart.

Unlike the wounds that he bore in his abdominal region, however, these were not wounds that could be healed, even with the help of kido. Only one person could cure this unbearable pain, and that one person had thrown his life away and was dimensions away in Hueco Mundo.

With another frustrated growl, Ichigo slammed his fist into his pillow twice, pounding the fabric mercilessly. It brought him no satisfaction; he wanted to tear up the entire room and burn the whole damn Seireitei down.

"This is stupid," he snarled into his pillow as he rolled over onto his stomach, "Everything is so fucking stupid. I _hate_ that stupid man, I _hate_ that freaking dickhead, and I _hate_ that…that white-haired, pint-sized _brat_…"

"You mean taichou…right?"

"What do you want, Rangiku-san?" Ichigo grunted unhappily, rolling back over to face Matsumoto, who had walked into the door, looking thinner than she had before and very miserable indeed.

"I just thought I'd check on you," she answered weakly, "And I brought you some tea, too."

"Oh…Thanks," the orange-haired teen muttered as he took hold of the teacup that was extended towards him, taking a sip of the piping hot liquid – green tea, Hitsugaya's favorite drink. He swallowed the lump in his throat; trying not to think about the nature of the beverage he had been offered.

"You've been in a coma for two days now, you know that? When'd you wake up, anyway?"

"A couple minutes ago," he replied unhappily. "And Toshiro…?"

"They got away, Ichigo-kun."

"I suspected as much," Ichigo sighed, leaning against the backboard of the hospital bed he had been situated in. "Did you tell the sotaichou…?"

"No, I didn't. I just reported them as unknown attackers when they asked."

This was followed by a brief silence.

"It's a good thing your wounds weren't as serious as we thought they'd be," Matsumoto continued. "It's surprising what taichou did."

"You mean how he stabbed me through the gut and probably damaged most of my digestive tract?" Ichigo asked sarcastically, "Or how he nearly turned me into a strawberry popsicle?"

"No," she answered, "You know why he did this, don't you?"

"Yeah…He told me it was to stop me from chasing after him."

"You see?" Matsumoto replied, smiling weakly. "This is taichou's way of protecting you. He still loves you, you know that? That's why he left to start with-"

"Yeah, that's a pretty sick way of showing affection, don't you think, Rangiku-san?" Ichigo retorted bitterly, cutting her off.

Matsumoto sighed and started again. "You don't get it, do you, Ichigo-kun? Look, no one knows taichou better than I do…well, except maybe Sojiro-kun. Anyway, do you even know why he left in the first place?"

"No, why would I?"

"It's because he was trying to protect you, of course, silly. Taichou couldn't bear the thought of Aizen hurting you. That was why he left – Because that was the only option Aizen gave him."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence afterwards.

"So Sojiro was right," Ichigo muttered glumly, "It _is_ my fault after all…"

"Don't blame yourself," Matsumoto insisted. "What taichou chooses to do is what he chooses to do. He's a stubborn kid. Once he makes up his mind, he won't change it. You had nothing to do with him leaving; that was his own decision."

"Then we've got to _make_ him change his mind, no matter what!" Ichigo shouted, sitting up a little bit straighter, "You have no idea how badly I need him back here, Rangiku-san."

"Well, Ichigo-kun," the fukutaichou of the tenth division mused, "Just how much does taichou mean to you?"

"Everything!" Ichigo answered heatedly. "Toshiro is _everything_ to me, Rangiku-san. If we can't save him, then I don't know what I'll do, I mean…I would do anything for him. I'd die for him if I had to; that's how much he means to me."

"Well, I guess that's good, since you _are_ Aizen's target…"

"I don't care about Aizen! I just want to be able to get stronger so I can knock some sense into Sojiro and save Toshiro!"

"Don't worry," Matsumoto smiled, "We'll think of something, Ichigo-kun…But finish your tea first, will you?"


	8. Decisions

Author's Note: Wow, already, we're on chapter eight! It still feels like I only just started on this story! And yes, for those of you who were wondering, I will post the first chapter to the other new fic I promised very soon, which will be much lighter and much less "mature" than this one.

* * *

"I see that the two of you have returned."

As Kusaka and Hitsugaya stepped from the darkness into the gloomily pale floors of Las Noches, neither of them was too surprised to see Aizen waiting for them.

"No," Kusaka muttered sarcastically under his breath, "No, we haven't returned at all."

"What was that, Sojiro-kun?"

Kusaka's eyes narrowed for a moment before he grudgingly muttered, "Nothing, Aizen. Your ears must have been deceiving you."

"Oh?" Aizen smiled pleasantly, "You really think so, Sojiro-kun? I beg to differ, but I suppose you're free to have your own opinion. However, I'd watch my tongue from now on, if I were you. I'd hate to have it cut out."

"Do whatever you want," Kusaka snarled, "It doesn't matter."

"Kusaka, stop it," Hitsugaya implored softly, "Don't argue with him…"

"It'd be a pity," Aizen shrugged, disregarding Hitsugaya attempting to intercept, "It would certainly be a waste, wouldn't it, Sojiro-kun? After all, I can think of much better punishments for you. How does watching your dear little Hitsugaya-kun having the flesh peeled from his pretty little face sound to you? Or perhaps you'd like to see me tear those pretty eyes of his right out of their sockets, hmm?"

"You leave Toshiro out of this," Kusaka growled, "This has nothing to do with him. If you so much as touch him, I'll kill you."

"My, my, such strong words," Aizen chuckled, "You're really stubborn, aren't you, Sojiro-kun? I was merely giving you some friendly suggestions. There's no need to respond to me so coldly, is there? Anyways, I have something to discuss with Hitsugaya-kun."

At these words, the brown-haired man turned to Hitsugaya.

"I'm displeased with you, Hitsugaya-kun," he began, the smile not leaving his lips at all. "And do you know why?"

Hitsugaya said nothing, and Aizen took this as an invitation to continue.

"I'll tell you why," he smiled, "It appears you have let a little rat escape."

Hitsugaya's heart froze in his chest, his eyes widening the slightest. How had he found out? He asked himself this as the rest of his mind raced to try and find a way to worm out of the situation. _Shit_, he thought frantically, _Matsumoto…_

"Exactly," Aizen spoke as if he had read the boy's thoughts, "It seems that you have let Rangiku-san escape with knowledge of our intentions. You didn't even _try_ to stop her…did you, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"I-I…"

"It's alright, Hitsugaya-kun, you don't need to say anything," Aizen interrupted, still smiling in his unpleasantly amused fashion. "I'll track her down and kill her anyway. We don't want her leaking anything out to anyone else, do we? Although it may be too late."

"What do you mean?" Hitsugaya asked.

"She has told Ichigo-kun everything she knows," the ruler of Hueco Mundo answered evenly. "So, knowing Ichigo-kun, it will only be a matter of days before he comes barging into my palace, demanding your return. However, I suspected that something like this might happen, so I closed off all pathways to this dimension. Unless I so wish it, no one can get in, and no one can get out. That's beyond the point, though. For your misconduct, Hitsugaya-kun, I'm afraid I will have to punish you."

Hitsugaya looked down at the floor, and Kusaka's eyes narrowed the slightest.

"Take him away," Aizen ordered, snapping his fingers and gesturing towards several Arrancar who had entered the room. "Take him to my room. I will deal with him personally."

The Arrancar moved forward to do as told, and Kusaka instantly stepped in front of Hitsugaya, his hand on the sheath of his katana.

"No," he hissed, "I won't let you."

"K-Kusaka…" Hitsugaya spoke softly as the raven-haired youth stepped in front of him, ready to draw his weapon.

"Excuse me, Sojiro-kun, but I don't remember saying that you had an opinion in this," Aizen interrupted. "Move aside."

"No," Kusaka repeated stubbornly, "You can't make me."

"Trust me, it'd be in your best interests to do as I tell you," Aizen answered, his tone switching from one of amusement to annoyance. He was no longer smiling. "…Or I'll be sure to make your precious Hitsugaya-kun suffer twice as much pain as I originally intended to."

"You really _are_ hard on hearing, aren't you?" Kusaka growled, "I said, _no_."

There was another long, painfully tense silence before Aizen's smile finally returned to his lips as he laughed. "Very well, Sojiro-kun, since you seem so insistent on it, maybe we'll let little Hitsugaya-kun off just this once." He turned to the Arrancar again, issuing new orders. "Escort these two back to the dungeons," he said, "And make sure there's no way of getting out."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

The next thing they knew, after being led back into the dreary confines of Las Noches' lower levels, both shinigami found themselves back in the dismal, iron-barricaded cell they had been in originally.

There was a long silence.

"Why did you do that, Kusaka?" Hitsugaya finally spoke. "It's a miracle Aizen didn't do anything to you, but…"

"Is there something wrong with wanting to protect you?" Kusaka retorted, "Did you forget what happened to you last time!? That was my fault, Toshiro, for not being able to protect you! You think I want that to happen again!?"

"Kusaka!" Hitsugaya answered indignantly, "I never said that! I'm just saying that you didn't have to do that! I'm not defenseless, you know…"

"Right, so you wanted me to sit there and watch, huh?" the raven-haired shinigami replied angrily, his voice rising, "You want to be Aizen's little bitch again!? Fine, then! Do what you want, Toshiro, I'm not going to stop you."

"No! I don't…"

"Oh, wait," Kusaka interrupted sarcastically, "Let me guess. You'd rather be with _Ichigo-kun_, right!? Is that it!?"

"That's not what I meant! Would you _please_ stop yelling at me!?"

"_You're_ the one who's yelling at _me_!"

"I am not!"

"What are you doing right now, Toshiro!?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what!?"

"Stop acting like this!" Hitsugaya shouted back, "You're not the Kusaka I used to know anymore! You…You're someone else…"

"What are you talking about?" Kusaka demanded, "What's your problem, huh?"

"Leave me alone," Hitsugaya mumbled, turning away from him. "I need to think."

"About what?"

"Everything," Hitsugaya answered as he slowly sat down on the cold stone floor, "I'm just…so confused right now. I need to make up my mind. I'm sorry, Kusaka…just please, let me think for a while."

"Toshiro…"

Kusaka turned away from the boy, feeling somewhat ashamed with himself for arguing with him over such trivial matters. He wondered if he had hurt his feelings or offended him, and his previous irritation was simmering down to guilt.

Reluctantly, he seated himself at the opposite end of the cell, staring quietly at the pale moon that shone silently down through the window.

Maybe Ichigo was right. Maybe Hitsugaya really shouldn't be here. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, though.

At any rate, Kusaka was pretty much exhausted from the day's events, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.

As this occurred, Hitsugaya glanced over his back, slightly surprised to see Kusaka asleep.

He waited for a few moments, waiting to see if his raven-haired companion would wake up. He didn't move, so he assumed he had around fifteen minutes or so to do what he had decided on.

Quietly and slowly, he unsheathed Hyorinmaru.

* * *

Presently, Kusaka awoke.

He had no idea how long it had been since he initially dozed off, since it was constantly night and there wasn't much time concept because of it.

It was a good thing, though, he supposed. His temper had cooled off a bit and he was fully ready to apologize to Hitsugaya for speaking to him with the tone he had.

"Toshiro?" he called out softly.

There was no response.

Frowning, he turned around, wondering why the said white-haired boy had not responded to him. Was he still upset with him?

As his eyes caught sight of the scene that now lay before him, his eyes widened.

Hitsugaya was lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, surrounded by a puddle of his own blood. Hyorinmaru was lying nearby, its blade bloodstained and only a few inches next to Hitsugaya's limply outstretched hand, which, too, was dotted with flecks of the crimson liquid.

The boy's eyes were closed, and his clothing was stained with the same blood that was slowly spreading across the cold stone floor.

"_T-TOSHIRO!"_


	9. Dead End

Author's Note: Most of you are probably thinking, "Oh, no…Poor Hitsugaya's dead." Although it probably seems like it, I assure you, he's not. After all, we're only on the ninth chapter, and the whole story would be pointless if we killed him off so early, right? Then Ichigo and Kusaka would have no incentive to do anything and Aizen would have no collateral. So, rest assured, our little Hitsugaya will be fine.

* * *

"I'm off, Rangiku-san!"

"Be careful, Ichigo-kun, and remember to come right back!"

With a nod, Ichigo hurried through the Senkaimon, moving into the dimension. He had to get back to the real world, because in situations like this, of course, there was only one person he could see for help. No prizes for guessing who this someone was; but it was his only chance of getting back into Hueco Mundo.

As he ran, he began mentally going over the very simple plan he and Matsumoto had gone over.

He would enter Hueco Mundo first and search for Hitsugaya. As soon as he found him, he'd get him the hell out of there and drag him back to Soul Society if he had to. He planned on doing this within a time frame of two days. After all, he had been to Hueco Mundo many times and he was pretty sure he knew what he was doing.

If, for any reason, he failed to return after two days had passed, then Matsumoto would cross over to check it out and see what the problem was, and pick up after Ichigo if necessary.

It wasn't much of a plan, he'd have to admit, but recklessly throwing themselves into Hueco Mundo at the same time would be a bad idea. If they went one at a time, they had a better chance of moving around undetected.

Finally, seeing a small, but sure beacon of light at the end of the stretching expanse of darkness, Ichigo quickened his pace. The sooner he arrived, the better, and soon enough, he found himself stepping out into the sunshine.

Blinking hard as his eyes adjusted to the light, he turned as to orient himself to his current location.

Good. He knew where he was and exactly how to get to his destination. All that was left was to go straight to the place he had in mind: the Urahara Shoten.

He set off in that direction, moving quickly past pedestrians who were unaware of his spiritual presence as he dodged and wove through the crowds. After a while of this process, he finally arrived, sliding the doors open and stepping in.

As Ichigo entered the shop, he wasn't surprised to see a certain black cat glaring at him through its yellow eyes from its spot on the floor.

"Morning, Yoruichi-san," he greeted, deciding he didn't have time to say much else.

However, he didn't have to start searching for the man he wanted to see, because Urahara Kisuke himself suddenly appeared in the room, fanning himself cheerfully.

"Hello, Kurosaki-san!" he greeted brightly as he continued to flap the paper fan incessantly by his face, "I was expecting you to arrive soon!"

"Huh?"

"I heard about Hitsugaya-kun," the clog-wearing man answered merrily, "And I assumed that you would be in a hurry of sorts to go save him. Is that what you wanted, Kurosaki-san?"

"Y-Yeah," the strawberry nodded, "Yeah. You can let me back into Hueco Mundo, right?"

"Certainly!" Urahara replied. "If you'll follow me downstairs, Kurosaki-san, I'll show you to the portal. I've already opened it, and now, all that's left is for you to enter."

With a nod, Ichigo followed the store owner to the facility's secret lower levels, in other words, the dusty underground training facility. The wooden scaffold in the edge of one of the many rocky precipices bore a large dimensional gap in it, and Ichigo knew from experience that was how he was going to enter Hueco Mundo.

Something seemed off, though. From previous trips into the domain of the hollows, the substitute shinigami knew that the gaping hole stretched between the wood was usually a sort of freakish black. Today, though, it looked strangely blank.

"So, can I cross now?" he asked.

There was a pause, and as he glanced at Urahara, Ichigo noticed that he didn't look very pleased.

"Not quite, Kurosaki-san," he answered, "We seem to have a little problem here."

"What is it?" Ichigo demanded. "What's wrong?"

"This is very strange," Urahara continued, "But there seems to be no flow of energy in the portal that I opened for you."

"So I can't go in?"

"No, if you tried, you'd be stuck there until the energy started flowing again."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo growled, "What's going on?"

"It means," Urahara announced, his cheerful tune now not-so-cheerful, "That someone, probably Aizen…has anticipated this and sealed off the dimension that is the bridge between both the real world and Soul Society to Hueco Mundo."

"That doesn't make sense!" the strawberry protested. "If there's no way of getting between the dimensions, then why are we still having hollow sightings!?"

"Then we can only conclude one thing," the green-clad man explained, "Aizen must be filtering the dimension, meaning that he chooses what passes through and what, or who doesn't. I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san, but it seems that you have no way of getting to Hueco Mundo."

"What!?"

"In other words, there's no possible way that you can go rescue Hitsugaya-kun at this time."

There was a long and extremely uncomfortable silence following Urahara's words.

The silence was shattered as Ichigo thrust Zangetsu downwards, slamming its blade into the dry earth in frustration before he dropped to his knees.

"God dammit!" he growled, gritting his teeth furiously while slamming his fist against the ground repeatedly, not caring that after a few good pounds, his knuckles were now bleeding.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"Calm down, Kurosaki-san," Urahara insisted, "Throwing a tantrum here won't solve anything, you know."

"Then what do you want me to do!?" Ichigo shouted angrily, "Give up on Toshiro!?"

"I didn't say that, but, for the time being, that's your only choice. I'll try to figure out a way to secure you a clear passage, Kurosaki-san, so in the meantime, just sit tight. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to calm down and think."

"Calm down!?" Ichigo repeated incredulously. "You want me to calm down!? Like hell I'm going to just sit back and simmer down, waiting for something to happen to Toshiro! I'm not going to…"

"Kurosaki-san!" Urahara spoke sharply, "You must not forget that you and Hitsugaya-kun are not the only people in the world. I told you I'd try to think of something. While you're waiting, why don't you stop complaining, eh?"

"Y-Yeah," the strawberry mumbled, somewhat ashamed. "Sorry, Urahara-san."

"That's much better!" he crooned happily, "Now, let's go back upstairs and try to think something out, alright?"

Ichigo wanted to calm down and cheer up as Urahara said, but that's a very difficult thing to do once you've discovered that you've hit a dead end.

* * *

After a few moments of sheer panic, Kusaka had frantically moved to feel Hitsugaya's pulse, and much to his relief, the boy's heart was still beating. Slowly and faintly, but it was better than nothing.

With a grunt, he rolled the unconscious Hitsugaya over, and then he quickly reached to the folds of Hitsugaya's kimono, pulling them open at the stomach region.

The wound was surprisingly neat, so he concluded that it _had_ been deliberate, confirming his suspicions. But why?

He didn't have much time to dwell on this; he had work to do. Working quickly, Kusaka tore the material at his sleeves, hurriedly wrapping the newly created strips around Hitsugaya's body and binding them as tightly as he could.

This way, he could stop the bleeding, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to heal him entirely. Medical kido wasn't exactly his cup of tea, as he had never been specially trained in it, but at any rate, he would have to at least try.

As he concentrated on focusing reiatsu into his hands to attempt to heal the katana wound, Kusaka couldn't help but think that Hitsugaya's apparent suicide attempt had been his fault.

For one thing, Hitsugaya was actually right when he had told him that he was different than what he had been like back in the academy. That was a painfully true statement.

Lately, Kusaka hadn't been feeling like himself. He had been much more tense, and he wasn't sure why. Maybe he was just really stressed out and worried over so many things. Maybe he was just pissed off because of that stupid Ichigo kid running off at the mouth and trying to be a hero.

In any case, he knew he hadn't handled the previous argument very gracefully. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He had just gotten carried away and started yelling at Hitsugaya, only because he had been worried for his safety. And now, he was wondering if he had upset the boy.

And even _if_ Hitsugaya made it through this awful ordeal alive, Kusaka still had his doubts.

What did Aizen want with them? If he wanted to kill Ichigo himself, then what was the point of them even being there, except to do some trivial odd jobs every now and then?

What worried him most was what would happen after Aizen achieved his revenge.

They were disposable to him. They were merely his pawns, manipulated into doing his dirty work under various threats. After he finished with whatever he wanted to get done, he would no longer have any use for either of them…

…So what was going to become of them?

With much dread, he was predicting a dead end. Literally.


	10. Flashback

Author's Note: So, my new fic is now out. Run to read it, children. As previously mentioned, it's a lighter humor story to loosen things up. I don't think it's my best work though, and I might let it rot after a while if I lose interest. Anyway, on to the next chapter, this will be in flashback. Ah, yes, everyone loves academy-style KusaHitsu. The flashback events will be _italicized. _Which would be the whole chapter anyway.

* * *

"_Toshiro! Oi, Toshiro!"_

"_What is it, Kusaka?" Hitsugaya demanded, looking up from the textbook he had his face buried in. "I'm very busy, you know. You should be, too. Our exams are soon."_

"_I'm not worried about them," Kusaka snorted, "They're easy."_

"_Whatever," Hitsugaya sighed, going back to his textbook, his eyes wandering over the pages and seemingly endless rows of hiragana and kanji in a bored fashion. He knew the material fairly well, but he felt the need to study anyway. He couldn't settle for just knowing; he had to be perfect. "You can fail if you want."_

"_Oh, come on, Toshiro," Kusaka insisted, snatching the textbook from his hands. "You act like the academy's your only life or something."_

"_Because it is!" _

"_Oh? Is that so? Well, are you forgetting about __**me**__, Toshiro?"_

"_Sh-Shut up!" the white-haired boy spluttered, a blush springing to his cheeks._

_With a chuckle, Kusaka leaned downwards, placing a kiss on Hitsugaya's forehead. As he did so, the boy lunged for the textbook._

"_Why, you tricky little punk!" Kusaka teased, "Trying to grab it when I'm not paying attention?" _

"_Shut up," Hitsugaya snapped, growling in irritation as his raven-haired companion triumphantly held the textbook high above his head. "You give that back to me this instant, Kusaka Sojiro!"_

"_Nope!" Kusaka laughed, "Maybe when you're tall enough to reach this high."_

"_Shut up! Give it back!" _

"_Hmm," Kusaka paused for a moment in thought before a smile broke out across his lips. "If you give me a kiss, I'll think about it."_

"_No! I'll just kick your ass!" _

"_That's not very nice now, is it? C'mon, Toshiro, just one little kiss." _

"_No."_

"_Then I'll have to get one myself, won't I?" Kusaka grinned, grabbing the unsuspecting Hitsugaya and jerking him off of his seat, pulling the smaller boy into his lap._

"_P-Pervert!" Hitsugaya accused, "Let go!"_

"_Kusaka! Hitsugaya! Is there a problem back there__?"_

_Both boys froze under their instructor's glare, now becoming aware of the entire class staring and giggling at their antics._

"_No, sensei," Kusaka smiled, "Everything's fine, right Toshiro?"_

"_H-Hai. We're sorry, sensei."_

"_Kusaka," the instructor ordered gruffly, "Give Hitsugaya's textbook back and return him to his seat this instant. Do keep in mind that we have a very strict PDA policy here, especially during class. Detention for both of you, and if it happens again, then expulsion. Do I make myself clear?"_

_The class broke out into a chorus of giggles again. _

"_Yes, sensei," the two chimed as Hitsugaya crawled out of Kusaka's lap, snatching his textbook back and shooting a venomous glare at his boyfriend._

_Hitsugaya seemed upset about the whole charade, but Kusaka, on the other hand, seemed very pleased with himself. _

_Detention proved to be quite a drag._

_After class, Hitsugaya and Kusaka found themselves sitting in a depressingly gloomy room that was almost empty; save the two of them and a few other unruly students. They had been seated nearly all the way across the room from each other, due to assigned seating from the detention supervisor._

"_Remember, this is a disciplinary action, not a chance to cause more trouble," their supervisor announced. The room went quiet, and grudgingly, Hitsugaya pulled out his textbook again._

_Most of the students trapped in detention were falling asleep or looking longingly out the window as if someone was going to come save them from their boredom._

_Kusaka, on the other hand, was quite busy. He took out a fresh piece of paper, keeping an eye on the supervisor as he hastily scrawled a message on it and folded it neatly into a paper airplane._

_Making sure he was not being watched, Kusaka quickly stood up and threw the plane towards Hitsugaya. The folded paper struck the unsuspecting boy directly on the back of his head._

_With a snarl of irritation, Hitsugaya snatched up the paper airplane, whirling around to send yet another death glare at his raven-haired boyfriend, who merely smiled and waved back, motioning for him to unfold the airplane._

"_Read what's in it," he mouthed, and seeming to understand, Hitsugaya slowly began to unfold the piece of paper. _

"_**Hi, Toshiro. I'm bored. This sucks, doesn't it?  
**__**And by the way, do you want to marry me?" **_

_As he scanned the message, his eyes widened the slightest as he turned back around, making eye contact with Kusaka, who was watching him hopefully._

_Hitsugaya began to mouth an answer, but as he opened his mouth, he was suddenly startled by the sound of the supervisor slamming a ruler onto the surface of his desk. He spun back around, hastily shoving the note under his desk._

"_Let's see it, Hitsugaya," the supervisor ordered, holding his hand out._

"_S-See what?" Hitsugaya stammered, stealing another quick glance at Kusaka. He could __**not**__ let the supervisor read this note._

_As the white-haired boy turned to look at him, Kusaka quickly stood up. _

"_Sensei!" he shouted, "I have to go to the bathroom!" _

_Hitsugaya blinked, realizing this was supposed to be a distraction. Hurriedly, he shoved the note into his robes, pulling out a sheet of paper he had been taking notes on that had been wedged in his textbook._

"_Can it wait, Kusaka?"_

"_No, I have to go __**now**__," Kusaka insisted. "If you don't let me go now, I'll pee myself."_

"_Fine then, go and hurry back within five minutes," the instructor ordered, and Kusaka scurried off. "Now then," he said, turning back to Hitsugaya. "Give that paper to me."_

_Hesitantly, Hitsugaya held the sheet out the supervisor, who snatched it away and looked at it, back to front and frowning._

"_I-It's just some notes I was taking," Hitsugaya explained meekly. "It's nothing much." With a shrug, the supervisor placed the paper back down and went back to his desk._

_Breathing a sigh of relief, the snow-haired prodigy cautiously took Kusaka's note back out. There had to be some mistake. Kusaka wouldn't ask him to marry him, would he? _

_As he scanned the message again for the fifth time, he realized that there was no mistakening what Kusaka had meant to ask him._

_He didn't know what to say. He loved Kusaka, but he hadn't been expecting this so soon. To be honest, he hadn't even been sure himself if the raven-haired teen really loved him back or was just teasing him all the time. _

"_I'm back, Sensei," Kusaka said as he re-entered the room. "That was a good pee," he added, turning to Hitsugaya and sending a quick wink in his direction._

"_Good to know, Kusaka, now sit back down," the supervisor instructed stonily._

"_Yes, sensei," he answered cheerfully, moving back to his original seat, glancing at Hitsugaya again, who also turned to look at him._

_He raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Well, what do you say, Toshiro?"_

_There was a brief pause as their eyes met. That was when Hitsugaya knew that Kusaka wasn't kidding around. He was serious this time, despite the situation._

_Slowly, he nodded his white-haired head._

_Kusaka's expression brightened as he flashed Hitsugaya a triumphant smile. "Thanks," he mouthed to him._

"_Is there something funny, Kusaka?" the supervisor demanded._

"_N-No!" the startled teen answered, nearly knocking his desk over as he turned to look back up at the supervisor, feigning innocence._

_Hitsugaya couldn't help but let out a small giggle, and the child quickly clapped a dainty hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. _

"_What, do you find something amusing as well, Hitsugaya?"_

"_N-Nothing, Sensei," Hitsugaya answered, "I wasn't laughing. I...I sneezed, that's all."_

_The supervisor narrowed his eyes, about to say something, but Kusaka cut him off._

"_Sensei, it's 4:30!" he announced, "Isn't it time for us to go?"_

"_I suppose you're right," he grunted in reply, adjusting his spectacles. "All of you are dismissed, and remember not to cause any trouble again from now on."_

_The students stood up, filing towards the door._

_As Hitsugaya stood to gather his textbooks, he suddenly felt himself being swept off his feet, and despite his protests and demands that they return to fetch his textbooks, a very happy Kusaka Sojiro cheerfully carried his new, squirming fiancée out the door. _


	11. Promises are Hard to Keep

Author's Note: I found it a little unusual how I got almost no reviews recently for any of my fics at all…I s'pose my work isn't worth reviewing anymore or whatever. Anyway, same deal as last chapter, if anyone read it at all. The flashback scenes are written in _italicized_ font. This chapter is a teensy bit shorter than the other ones, but not by too much. I also must warn you that this isn't one of my best chapters. A little bit of strong language as well. So try to enjoy, I guess.

* * *

"_Promise me you'll never leave me, Kusaka." _

"_Why?" Kusaka replied curiously. "Why are you asking something like that right now?"_

"_I don't know," Hitsugaya confessed. "J-Just promise. Promise you'll always be Kusaka Sojiro and nothing else."_

_With a laugh, Kusaka took Hitsugaya's hands, feeling the smaller fingers curl tightly around his own as if afraid he was going to run away or something of the sort. As if he was afraid he was going to leave right then and there._

_He knelt down and looked him straight in the eye._

"_I promise, Toshiro."_

At the current moment, Hitsugaya Toshiro was wondering whether or not he was dead.

Everything was dark because he couldn't bear to open his eyes. He felt warm, though. Warm, comfortable, and content. Maybe this was what being reincarnated was like.

He opened his eyes.

As he blinked to clear his vision, he noticed that his settings had not changed. The ceiling above him was still depressingly blank and the walls around him were still in a similar condition. He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to feel relieved to be alive or upset to not have been able to die and leave this life.

The child prodigy then realized why he had been feeling so warm and secure. A pair of arms was wrapped protectively around him, holding him tightly. He still felt a dull pain in his lower body, but nonetheless, he still felt safe.

"K…Kusaka?"

"Thank god," the older male breathed, his grip around Hitsugaya's body tightening slightly. "Thank god you pulled through alright. Don't you scare me like that ever again, you hear me, Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya nodded weakly, an enormous wave of guilt surging through him as he realized what he could have done upon seeing how much paler Kusaka had become.

It was selfish of him to have tried to take his own life like that. He would die, be reincarnated, and go somewhere better, leaving Kusaka behind all alone in this miserable hole. What a coward he felt like.

"I-I'm sorry," Hitsugaya murmured, sitting up and gently pulling himself from Kusaka's arms. "You must have been worried…"

"I know, I know, you're sorry," Kusaka muttered, "But 'worried' doesn't even start to cut it, you know. How would _you_ feel if you turned around, just to see me lying there and bleeding to death on the ground? Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," Hitsugaya answered guiltily, "I don't know, Kusaka. I was just so confused and so frightened, and…and that whim just came over me…"

"A whim?" Kusaka repeated, "You tried to take your own life on a _whim_? I don't think you realize how serious this is, Toshiro. What if you really _did_ die?"

"Kusaka, I…"

"Toshiro, honestly," the raven-haired youth interrupted, his voice both pained and angered, "If being with me really hurts you this much, then just tell me. I want you to be happy, Toshiro, and if I'm not good enough for you, _tell me_."

"N-No! I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what _are_ you trying to say? What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know."

"And why don't you know?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Hitsugaya retorted, his voice rising as well. "Why do you have to make _everything_ into an argument!? You know I hate it when you do this! You know I don't want to fight with you!"

"Maybe," Kusaka snarled, "Maybe I wouldn't have to if you don't act so damn childishly all the time!"

"Childishly!?" Hitsugaya repeated indignantly, "I am _not_ a child anymore, Kusaka."

"Then stop acting like one, Toshiro! Grow up and use your fucking prodigy brain already!"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, and he opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of something to say back, but no words came out of his lips. There was a pause, and then he completely lost it.

"What makes you think you have the right to talk to me like that!?" he shouted, his eyes burning with hate, glaring ice at Kusaka, "You think you can say whatever you want to me, is that it!? You've never been able to stand the fact that I've always had higher grades than you, have you!? You say you love me, but you've never been able to see past the fact that we're _rivals_! Am I right, Kusaka Sojiro!? What am I to you!?"

"Don't you fucking yell at me! Who do you think you are!? You think you can get away with anything because you're better than me!?"

Hitsugaya said nothing.

"Answer me, Toshiro."

"No."

There was a deathly silence that followed before Kusaka's eyes narrowed, his voice suddenly becoming eerily cold.

"You self-centered, egotistical little _brat_!"

He slapped Hitsugaya across the face, hard, forcefully enough to send the white-haired boy slamming into the ground before sending a vicious kick towards his stomach. The boy coughed harshly, his wounds from his previous suicide attempt far from healed as blood splattered across the floor, trickling from his lips.

It was when Kusaka's hand moved to his katana that he realized what he was doing.

Horrified, the older male froze, his eyes moving to his hand, which was resting on the hilt of his sword. _What am I doing?_ he asked himself, _What the hell am I doing? For god's sake, I was actually about to __**kill**__ Toshiro…What am I turning into?_

"T-Toshiro…" he whispered, kneeling down next to him. "Toshiro, I…"

Hitsugaya slowly turned his head to look at Kusaka, his eyes rigid with fear.

"I…I'm so sorry. I don't know what made me do this, I…Toshiro, please, forgive me."

Hitsugaya said nothing, merely looking away, his eyes full of doubt and pain.

Kusaka knew that he wouldn't be able to keep his sanity much longer. Here in Las Noches, every bad turn of events and every little word was driving him closer and closer to the edge. He had to get out of there; otherwise, everything would be over. Who knows what else he'd be compelled to do under these influences. He would lose everything. He could end up hurting his academy sweetheart, or worse. They _had_ to leave before he completely lost it.

"Toshiro," he spoke, taking the frightened boy's hand in his own and pulling him to his feet. "Toshiro, we're getting out of here."

"What?" Hitsugaya whispered, pulling his hand away, "Why this all of a sudden?"

"Ichigo-kun was right," he murmured quietly, "You don't belong here, Toshiro, and I know that I can't last much longer, either."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen to me, Toshiro," Kusaka said firmly, placing his hands on Hitsugaya's shoulders and looking directly into his eyes. "I don't know what Aizen is planning, but if he doesn't hurt you, then as long as we're here, I know _I_ will. I…I'm losing it, Toshiro, and I can't put you in danger because of it. We have to leave."

"Kusaka, I'm sorry…I-It was my fault, I shouldn't have said such things to you…"

"No, you did nothing wrong. Just trust me on this, alright? Promise me, Toshiro. Promise me you'll trust me. If…If something like this happens again, please, Toshiro, please fight back, run away, kill me if you have to. Promise me you won't let me hurt you like this again."

"Kusaka…"

"Toshiro, _promise me_."

"…I promise, Kusaka."


	12. A Way Out

Author's Note: Well, then. Sorry for my lack of update, I've been really busy lately. Anyway, I saw a really disturbing piece of Bleach fanart and I do believe I have been scarred for life. It was a picture of…er…I'd rather not say. Please, someone lend me some saline solution to rinse out my eyes and if you happen to find my uncorrupted innocence lying somewhere in the World Wide Web, please return it to me.  
And, uh...oops. I accidentally uploaded my homework into the chapter, and part of a songfic I was working on...Stupid me. Sorry, particularly to poor Benehime! I deleted it, though, and reposted so unless you didn't read it on July 7, then you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

* * *

Kusaka had been watching the dungeon entrance intently for the past half hour. At the sight of an Arrancar entering to check on the pair, with a set of keys dangling from its waist, he instantly turned to Hitsugaya.

"Ready, Toshiro?"

"I guess."

"Good," Kusaka nodded, giving the ex-captain of the tenth division a firm pat on the back. "I'm sorry you have to do this, I mean, well, I know it might be a little embarrassing, but…Well, it's the only plan I can think of right now."

"It's alright," Hitsugaya muttered, "Let's just get this over with."

As Kusaka watched worriedly on, Hitsugaya slowly made his way to the front of the cell, squinting through the empty darkness.

"Excuse me."

The Arrancar blinked stupidly, shuffling forward. Much to Hitsugaya's relief, it didn't seem to be an Espada, let alone very powerful at all.

"Need something, shinigami?" it grunted, squinting through the cell's bars at the white-haired boy.

Hitsugaya inhaled before nodding. "Yes, I was actually wondering…no, this won't do, Arrancar-san, would you mind coming a little closer?"

With a grunt, the said ex-hollow moved forward, so that he was only centimeters away from the child prodigy. The only thing that separated them was the iron bars of the cell.

"What is it?"

Slowly, Hitsugaya reached downwards to his obi, letting the sash slip noiselessly to the ground as he pulled open the folds of his kimono.

"Oi, kid, what're you doing?"

"You see, Arrancar-san," Hitsugaya explained in what he hoped was a convincing voice, "This is an injury I received a while ago," he continued, gesturing to the stab wound he had inflicted on himself. Of course, he wasn't going to tell the Arrancar that. As he slowly began unraveling the makeshift bandages that were composed of Kusaka's shredded kimono sleeves, he rambled on. "My friend back there is a little, well…dull in the mind. He can't tell his sword from his arm. Would you mind taking a look, Arrancar-san, and telling me if you think its healing is coming along well?"

As expected, the Arrancar didn't seem to be listening to him at all, instead, merely staring voraciously at the display of smooth, pearl-white flesh over a set of dainty hips, just barely skimmed by the coverage of his hakama.

With a soft sigh, the boy rolled his eyes heavenward. Kusaka had been right; this _was_ rather embarrassing. As long as the plan worked, though, he'd be satisfied.

A split second later, the Arrancar shrieked in agony as Kusaka darted forward, slamming the blade of his katana through its stomach, reaching through the bars and snatching the keys from its waist.

"Toshiro, get back!" he shouted, and with a nod, Hitsugaya moved backwards, doing as told while hurriedly trying to readjust his robes.

"Y-You dirty, sneaky little whore!" the Arrancar spluttered, glaring at Hitsugaya through its beady eyes as it choked on its own blood, which was oozing from in between its lips. "J-Just wait until…Until I tell Aizen-sama-"

"You won't get the chance," Kusaka interrupted coldly, giving his blade a vicious twist. In an instant, with another agonized scream, the Arrancar exploded into fragments of bloody ice.

"You did it, Toshiro," the raven-haired youth beamed, swooping up the younger boy for a quick kiss before setting him back down.

"No," Hitsugaya muttered, a little embarrassed, "You're the one who actually got the keys, so…"

"But I wouldn't have been able to do it if you hadn't distracted him like that! I didn't know you were such a good actor," Kusaka teased, ruffling the boy's snow white hair. "You really are Soul Society's little prodigy, aren't you? There's nothing you can't do, Toshiro."

"Shut up," Hitsugaya muttered, a slight blush springing to his cheeks.

"Whatever," Kusaka laughed, "Well, let's get out of here then, shall we?"

He reached through the bars of the cell, carefully twisting his wrist in such a way that he was able to insert the key into the lock and give it a firm turn. There was a moment of silence, and then, with great relief, the lock clicked and the door swung open.

The two departed their confinement cell quietly, with Kusaka in the lead. As they made their way through the rows of dank cells, Hitsugaya stopped, inhaling sharply, resisting his body's urge to double over in pain as he wrapped his arm around his stomach with a pained wince.

"Are you alright, Toshiro?" Kusaka asked, stopping as well before turning around to send a worried look to his white-haired companion.

"N-No, it's nothing," Hitsugaya insisted, slowly regaining his composure. "I'm fine."

"Your wounds," the taller ex-shinigami insisted, "They haven't healed all the way yet. If you move around by yourself, they'll reopen. Do you want me to carry you?"

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya repeated, more firmly this time. "I can't burden you, Kusaka. Let's just hurry."

"Are you sure?"

The young prodigy nodded. He knew perfectly well that he wasn't fine at all. At this rate, he would only serve to slow them down. If Kusaka was worried about him, then they'd be _even_ slower. In a situation like this, time was not a luxury, and they couldn't afford to slow down if they wanted to make it out alive.

"Well, if it starts hurting again, let me know," Kusaka insisted, reaching out to take Hitsugaya's hand and give it a soft squeeze. "We'll be fine, alright?"

The smaller boy nodded briefly, and the two of them hurried off.

They passed by many empty cells, save the few that contained rotting corpses. They seemed to be the only people left alive in the room. The rest must have gone crazy and slowly wasted away.

They exited the prison unit shortly after, which took them to a bleak hallway. Kusaka frowned, trying to recall which direction to take.

"This way," he murmured, giving Hitsugaya's arm a gentle tug as they hurried off in the indicated direction, taking several more turns before nearing the exit.

"Aizen's not stupid," Kusaka continued, "There's no doubt that he'll know we're gone soon, if he doesn't know already. He'll be sending people after us, so we've got to hurry."

"You seem sure of yourself," Hitsugaya scoffed as he moved after Kusaka, "Where exactly do you plan on going? We won't survive out there, you know."

"I do know," the taller shinigami answered, "That's why I'm thinking that we should go to the real world and stay there."

"Real world? And how do you propose we get there? You know that Aizen is controlling who gets to go in and out of dimensions.

"I know that, too," Kusaka answered plainly. "That's why we're going to find a hollow and use its pathway to get into the real world."

"You're crazy," Hitsugaya sighed, "The dimension will only be open for a few seconds."

"Which is exactly why we have to hurry," Kusaka replied as he pushed the heavy doors open, ushering Hitsugaya through. "Come on."

As the pair stepped through, the bleak gray expanse of Hueco Mundo's barren desert was all that waited to greet them.

"Now, all we've got to do is find a hollow," Kusaka announced as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "The tricky part will be the timing, though. If we show up before it steps through a garangata, it might attack us and not go through. If we show up afterwards, we should be able to use its leftover pathway before it closes, but if we come too late, then the path will either close or wear off while we're inside it and trap us in there."

It was risky, but it was the only way.

They hurried off, having no particular destination, and it was completely silent except for the sounds of their feet pounding lightly against the sandy ground.

"Are you alright, Toshiro?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your injuries-"

"They're nothing. Keep moving, Kusaka."

Kusaka nodded, turning away, just in time to catch sight of a hollow disappearing into a gaping black hole in the space approximately thirty feet away from them.

"Well, then…Time to go, I guess, Toshiro."

* * *

Author's Note: What a coincidence, huh? Well, I'm sorry I made their solution to their little predicament so simple, but it was all I can think of. Sorry about the stupidity of this chapter. Rest assured, though, they're not getting away _that_ easily. That would be boring, wouldn't it? Yes, I have something bittersweet in store for them, and what was that? More Ichigo? You bet.


	13. Numb

Author's Note: Well, I managed to come up with a solution as to what a hollow is doing in the middle of nowhere on the upper level of Hueco Mundo as opposed to the Forest of Menos. Well, sort of, anyway. I'll try to make things as clear as possible from this point forward and try to make up for the last chapter, which, to be frank, sucked. Also, in this chapter, there will be a reference to _Smile_. After all, this _is_ its sequel. So if something seems unexplained to you, check _Smile_ and the answer might be there. This chapter seems a little weird with not a whole lot of action, but instead a lot of psychological shit, so yeah, this one's not great, either.

* * *

As they watched in silence, waiting for the hollow to disappear, Kusaka became aware of one thing, something that bothered him. The hollow they were watching was not alone. It had others of its kind in its company.

"That's odd," he muttered to himself.

"What is?"

Blinking, Kusaka glanced towards Hitsugaya. "These are Menos Grande," he spoke, "I've been in Hueco Mundo since my first "death" in Soul Society, long enough to know how things work around here. You see, Toshiro, the Menos usually reside within a sub-dimension of Hueco Mundo, a supposed forest that rests below the desert we are standing on at this moment."

"I don't understand," Hitsugaya answered, "If that's true, what are they doing up here?"

"There's only one thing we can say from this," Kusaka replied. "There's no doubt Aizen is the one responsible for this. It's likely he's mobilized them on the upper surface of Hueco Mundo in order to communicate with these Menos more effectively. He must be planning something."

"Something against Soul Society?"

"Probably."

There was another uncomfortable pause.

"Aren't they going to attack us? Can't they see or sense us?"

Kusaka shook his head. "No. I don't think they're aware of us. You've been in Hueco Mundo for around a week now. That's long enough for your reiatsu to become mingled with that of this dimension. The same goes for me. As far as they're concerned, we're they're allies. They won't attack us."

Hitsugaya nodded slowly. "I see."

"Fortunately for us that gives us more options and a better chance of having the right timing to get through one of these dimensional rips. They won't notice if we follow them through."

"That's convenient, I suppose."

"You're right, but at any rate, we have to get to Ichigo-kun as soon as possible. I'm not sure if he knows that Aizen is after him. We'll have to arrange it so that Soul Society will grant its protection to the two of you."

"And what about yourself?"

"According to Soul Society," Kusaka answered plainly, turning to look back at Hitsugaya, "I don't exist and never did."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened the slightest as he looked back up to his raven-haired companion. "What do you mean?"

"Ichigo-kun didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"What he found out…When he came to Hueco Mundo the last time you were here, he told me the truth. He said he hadn't told you yet back then, but I didn't think that he _still_ hasn't told you."

"The truth? What do you mean?"

"Well, we should leave, so I'll explain later…Wait." Kusaka stopped abruptly, seeming to sense something. "Someone's coming," he muttered, "They've been tracking us and following us this whole time."

His eyes widening again in panic, Hitsugaya turned. His breath seemed to catch in his throat as he caught sight of a small group of Arrancar, led by a certain, smiling, silver-haired, former captain of the third division.

"I-Ichimaru…"

"Well, now," the man spoke, the usual smug expression of self-satisfaction on his face, "And where exactly were you two headin' off 'ta?"

Kusaka's eyes narrowed the slightest. "None of your business," he spat.

"It's not very hard 'ta track a runaway down, 'ya know," the smiling Ichimaru added as he continued to beam at the pair. "Even if the two of 'ya _did_ manage 'ta escape, we'd find you real quick anyway."

The group of Arrancar behind the silver-haired fox chuckled as their commander slowly unsheathed his zanpaku-to and pointed it directly at Hitsugaya's heart.

The words to the sword's shikai slipped silently through the smiling man's lips, but in the deathly silence of the desert, it seemed to ring clearly across the grey sands.

Panicked, Kusaka shoved Hitsugaya as hard as he could, directing him out of harm's way. He reached to his obi, jerking his katana out from its sheath and bringing it upwards in a flash of steel to block Shinso's deadly extension from proceeding.

"Toshiro, run!"

"I'm not going to!" Hitsugaya retorted. "I abandoned you last time, and you can't ask me to do it again!"

"Just run!" his raven-haired companion insisted, more urgently. "Listen to me, Toshiro. You have to leave this place more than I do. Find Ichigo-kun and stay near him; I know he'll protect you. I'll figure something out, don't worry. You go on ahead. Go with that Menos over there, twenty yards straight ahead."

"Kusaka, I-"

"If you don't," he threatened, straining to keep Shinso and its smiling wielder at bay, "I'll either let this man kill me right now, or I'll kill myself with my own blade."

"Kusaka, please," Hitsugaya begged, "I can't…"

"I'm not joking, Toshiro. Hurry before the dimension becomes too thin for you to cross through. Besides…Ichigo-kun needs you."

"No! I'm not leaving without you! I'd rather die here than abandon you here again!"

"Go right now. You'll be sorry if you don't."

Hitsugaya faltered, pausing for a moment in silence. Kusaka was glaring threateningly at him, and he knew that he meant business. He wanted desperately to stay where he was, but it was as if Kusaka's gaze was commanding his feet to go against his wishes and take him towards the indicated Menos.

Each step was torture, until another sharp order from Kusaka to run finally spurred him into a faster motion, and before he could stop himself, he found himself running away as he had asked him to.

_Why am I doing this? _he asked himself as he stepped through the tear in the dimensional fabric, the desert disappearing and being replaced by a dark expanse of nothingness, _Why am I leaving him? I have to go back, I have to. _

He knew it was too late, though. Unless the hollow decided to turn back, which was unlikely, there was no way he could as well. The best he could do was to keep following it and pray that it wouldn't suddenly notice him and attack him. If he found himself having to kill this Menos, there would be no way out and he would be trapped in this dimension.

The next moment later, he was bathed in sunlight, a sensation he had nearly forgotten from the bleak conditions of Hueco Mundo.

Then, he was falling from the sky. Falling like a stone.

He didn't care. He'd survived long falls before, but not a fall that would land him into a hoard of ravenous hollows below. He was no longer undetectable by them, since they had now arrived in the real world.

Now, Hitsugaya Toshiro was perfectly capable of fighting hollows. Even a group of Menos would be a simple task to take care of. The question now lay in whether he chose to fight back or not.

He could regain footing easily as well, if he so wished to stand in the sky. But he didn't. His body refused to move, and oddly, he didn't mind this nauseating sense of having no control over his own body. He didn't mind that he was unable to get to safety.

It wasn't that he didn't care enough so that he would throw his life away easily. It was just that he was overcome with too many emotions that were interfering with his physical capability.

Guilt, fear, anger, panic, sorrow, hate.

Everything was melding together into numbness. He was falling faster, towards the hollows waiting below, but strangely, he was not concerned about them.

There were only two people who came to mind. Kusaka…and Ichigo.

He didn't feel anything physically, merely a mess of emotional stress. There was one thing he could feel however, through this terrible numbness.

His heart felt so cold. He, Hitsugaya Toshiro, who reigned over frosted winter skies and was master of this great dragon of ice…was cold.

He didn't know how long he had been free-falling from the sky since his entry into the real world.

All he knew was that suddenly, he found himself being caught by a strong pair of arms, stopping him from falling to his death.

He opened his eyes, and as he found himself looking back into a warm, chocolate-colored stare filled with worry. Instantly, the numbness in his body seemed to wash away, the feeling slowly returning to him.

"You're cold, Toshiro," his rescuer murmured, the arms tightening around his body.

Hitsugaya blinked hard. He could feel this person's concern for him and his strange, unconditional warmth flowing into him, seeping through his veins and thawing his icy heart. The cold was slowly receding. There was only on individual who was capable of this, he knew. That was the difference between his rescuer and Kusaka: the warmth. This warmth was something Kusaka had at one point, but was now gone, instead belonging to the very person whose name was the next word the child prodigy spoke.

"Ichigo…"

"I came out here because of all the hollows that were turning up…and I found you, I guess," the strawberry murmured. Much to his relief, Hitsugaya had not referred to him as "Kurosaki," which he took as a good sign.

"Let's go home…alright, Toshiro? There…There's something I need to tell you."

The snow-crowned boy slowly nodded, wanting nothing more than to be enveloped in this warmth so he'd have some form of protection from the unbearable guilt that was tearing his soul to pieces.

* * *

Author's Note: Awww, Ichigo saved the day. Everything's going to be alright now, right? Sorry to disappoint you, but we've still got quite a way to go until things resolve. In fact, everything is far from being "alright" at this moment. Heck, who knows, they might not even live happily ever after. You'll have to see for yourself.


	14. Relief of Sorts

Author's Note: Tra-la-la. I bet you're all wondering, "What does Ichigo need to tell Hitsugaya!?" or "What's going to happen to Kusaka!?" or something like that, right? Isn't the suspense killing you? Well, boo-hoo to you. You won't be finding out the answer to either of those questions in this chapter. Heheheheh. But you will, eventually, so calm down and put away your semi-automatic rifles.

* * *

"There we go," Ichigo grunted, depositing Hitsugaya onto his bed. Minutes earlier, his substitute badge had been going berserk, and it turned out that it was reacting to a bunch of hollows that had arrived. In the middle of cutting down a pair, he had looked up for just a moment, and imagine his surprise when he saw a certain ex-captain of the tenth division plummeting from the sky.

"Toshiro," he continued, "What happened?"

He wasn't sure if he could still trust Hitsugaya. It was true that he loved the boy dearly, but it was also true that he had nearly killed him a few days ago.

Hitsugaya said nothing. Instead, he merely stared blankly back at Ichigo.

"What's wrong?"

There was another uncomfortable silence. Finally, the child prodigy spoke.

"I…I left him there."

"Who?" the strawberry urged, "Who was it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hitsugaya answered back, his eyes flickering downwards. "Who else do you think was with me in Hueco Mundo?"

"Sojiro?"

The white-crowned head nodded briefly, and Ichigo frowned.

"Ichigo, please," he continued, his eyes traveling back up to meet the chocolate-colored irises of the very person he was addressing, "You can't blame Kusaka for attacking you. You know he had no other choice. If you want to feel angry at someone, it should be me. He was only…"

"I know, I know," Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his orange locks, "He was only trying to protect you."

"I shouldn't have separated myself from him during our intrusion on the Seireitei," Hitsugaya muttered, "I just didn't think he would get that angry and go that far…You don't hate Kusaka, do you?"

Ichigo shook his head. "You know, Toshiro, after you guys invaded and then left, I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what was going on and what your situation was. I hated both of you. I thought…I thought you had betrayed me intentionally. Not just me, in fact, but the rest of Soul Society. I know the things Soul Society have done against you and Sojiro, but I knew you weren't aiming for revenge on them. You didn't seem like that kind of person to me. Then, I realized the two of you were with Aizen and it made me even angrier. I wanted to kill both Sojiro and Aizen and I wanted to find you myself and drag you back to Soul Society. I…"

"Ichigo, I…"

"I know," the strawberry muttered, "Rangiku-san told me. You didn't have a choice. Neither of you did. I was angry with myself for blaming the two of you and thinking such terrible thoughts about you, especially since…you left because of me, right?"

There was another silence before Hitsugaya's eyes drifted across the bandages around Ichigo's body. They were from wounds inflicted by Kusaka, and of course, by the child prodigy himself.

"I'm sorry."

With what he hoped was a convincing and carefree laugh, Ichigo's hand went to his stomach, where his stab wounds had been the most severe. "D-Don't worry about it," he insisted, "It's nothing, honestly. Those folks in the fourth division healed me entirely up. I'm fine, so don't look so guilty, okay?"

"You wouldn't have been wounded in the first place if it wasn't for me."

"Hey," Ichigo answered in a bright voice, trying feebly to change the subject, "Are you hungry, huh, Toshiro? Do you want anything to eat? Look, I have some soba in the 'fridge, how does that sound?" There was something else he needed to tell him, but it could wait. The poor boy was already suffering from enough guilt and he had to try to make him take his mind off of it.

Hitsugaya realized how famished he was at that moment. Come to think of it, Aizen hadn't bothered providing neither him nor Kusaka any food or water. Slowly, he nodded in a quiet gesture of approval.

Smiling, Ichigo stood. "Get into your gigai then, alright? Let's go down together."

Soon enough, after Ichigo had fitted him in some of Karin's clothes (under the explanation that they were the only things he had that would fit him, and that Karin dressed pretty boyishly anyway), Hitsugaya found himself being led down the stairs and into the Kurosaki family's dining room.

"Here," Ichigo said, pulling out a chair, "You can sit right there. Give me a sec and I'll get something for you to eat."

Nodding, Hitsugaya seated himself. As he watched Ichigo scramble around the kitchen, he became aware of two other people entering the kitchen, who were also Kurosakis, he assumed.

"You guys are finally up, huh?" Ichigo called over towards the two girls that had entered the kitchen. "Ah…Well, this is, uh, a classmate of mine, Hitsugaya Toshiro," he muttered, turning to gesture vaguely at Hitsugaya. "These are my sisters. Yuzu's the one on the left and the other one's Karin. By the way, Karin, if you don't mind, I lent Toshiro some of your clothes."

"Good morning," Hitsugaya offered lamely, trying to be polite.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro?" Karin repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's a weird name. It's so old-fashioned. Are you from around here, Toshiro-san?"

"Er…No, not really."

"Really? That's neat! How exotic!" Yuzu squealed delightedly.

"N-No, it's not-"

"Have you had breakfast yet, Toshiro-kun?" she went on to ask without waiting for him to finish.

"He's fine," Ichigo interrupted as he closed the refrigerator, "I'm going to give him some soba, you don't need to worry about it, Yuzu. You're going to scare him-"

"What are you talking about, Onii-chan?" Yuzu insisted, snatching the plate of plastic-wrapped soba from her older brother's hands. "You can't feed leftovers to guests! That's rude!" She handed the plate to Karin. "Here, Karin-chan, you eat this…Do you like omelets, Toshiro-kun? Would you like me to make you one?"

"It's alright…I'm not very hungry…"

"Okay then!" Yuzu chirped happily, taking this as an approval as she hurried to the stove.

Karin, meanwhile, was staring suspiciously at Hitsugaya's hair.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, I guess."

"…Is your hair bleached? And are you wearing colored contacts?"

"Alright, alright, enough with the questions!" Ichigo interrupted, "You're freaking the poor kid out, you know!" He turned to Hitsugaya, a sheepish look on his face. "Sorry about that," he apologized, "But my sisters love guests."

"Not as much as Dad loves them," Karin muttered.

"Speaking of Dad," Ichigo blinked, "…Where _is_ the old man?"

No sooner had the question slipped from his lips, the kitchen door crashed open as a projectile blur came shooting inwards. His eyes widening, Ichigo lunged across the room. "Get down!" he yelped, tackling the startled Hitsugaya out of his seat and onto the floor, the attacker sailing overhead before smashing into a cupboard.

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya growled dangerously, "Give me one good reason why you've just knocked me out of my seat and smashed my head on your kitchen floor."

"S-Sorry," the strawberry apologized, "But _that's_ the reason." He jabbed an accusing finger towards the missile which had been launching at them seconds before, which turned out to be none other than…Well, you guessed it. Kurosaki Isshin.

"Eh?" the head of the Kurosaki family blinked, regaining his composure. "Who's that?"

"Classmate," Ichigo grunted, standing and taking Hitsugaya's hand, pulling him back to his feet. "Honestly, old man, you could have killed him, you know that?"

Isshin shrugged. "Sorry 'bout that…er, what was the name of your little friend there, Ichigo?"

"Toshiro," Ichigo snapped, "Hitsugaya Toshiro."

"Ah, I see. Well, sorry about my behavior, Takashi-chan-"

"It's _Toshiro_, you ass!" Ichigo interrupted angrily. "To-shi-ro! Get it into your brain, old man!"

"Ohhh, I see," Isshin nodded. "Toshiro-chan. Got it."

"Toshiro-kun!" Yuzu announced, placing a plate on the table in front of him. "Look, I made this for you! Doesn't it look yummy! Eat it, okay?"

Hitsugaya stared blankly at the omelet. Surely enough, "Toshiro" was written across its top in kanji with ketchup lettering…But somehow…it seemed wrong. (See Author's Note at the end.)

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to," Ichigo muttered, "I mean…she wrote your name wrong."

"It's alright, it's only polite to eat something she made," Hitsugaya grumbled, poking at the offending mass of egg and ketchup.

"Uh…Let's go back upstairs," Ichigo muttered, picking up the omelet. "You can eat this in my room." Nodding, Hitsugaya stood, muttering a quick thank-you to Yuzu, who beamed cheerfully back at him.

"Toshiro's going to be staying here for a while," Ichigo called to his father as the ascended the stairs. "He…uh, he just moved from uh…uh…Osaka."

"You're welcome to make yourself at home, Toshiro-chan!" Isshin announced happily, "If there's anything you need, just tell my idiot son to get it for you!"

Resisting the urge to charge back down the stairs and kick his father in the balls, Ichigo merely walked faster and hurriedly pulled Hitsugaya into his room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Author's Note: Here's a little information about the part where it says Yuzu wrote Toshiro's name in the wrong kanji. His name should be written as 冬獅郎, but Yuzu wrote it as 藤四郎, which is also pronounced "Toshiro" and loosely means "amateur" or "childish." One can imagine poor Hitsugaya's pent-in anger.


	15. Ill Humor

Author's Note: Last chapter was kind of for comic relief, but it was also to fill in some gaps that have been created between Ichigo and Hitsugaya during their separation from each other. You're also wondering, "What the hell? You didn't say what happened to Kusaka!" Well, that will be answered in the next chapter, as well as what Ichigo needs to say, so be patient. Like the previous chapter, I'll (attempt) to provide comic relief, but also, you'll start to see the tension beginning to rebuild.

* * *

As they seated themselves on Ichigo's bed, with Hitsugaya picking at the omelet and occasionally taking a small bite, Ichigo couldn't help but smile as he reached out and patted the child prodigy's snow-crowned head.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Mmrph mmrph," Hitsugaya answered. He paused, swallowing the bite of food before trying again. "I guess so."

"Good," the strawberry replied, ruffling his hair affectionately. "You know, I've missed you, Toshiro."

Hitsugaya was used to hearing these things by now from the strawberry, but he found his face heating up anyway nonetheless.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" Ichigo repeated, "That's all you have to say? You're really hurting my feelings, you know that?" he whined in mock offense. "I think I'm going to cry now."

"Then cry," Hitsugaya snorted, swallowing another bite of this misnomer-omelet.

Ichigo smiled. Now _this_ sounded like the Hitsugaya he knew. It seemed like he was himself again, and that was good. His natural personality was cold and sarcastic, but hey. It was better than an upset and depressed Hitsugaya.

"Oh, come here, you," the strawberry laughed, scooting closer to the ex-captain of the tenth division, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as he leaned forward to kiss him.

Before their lips could meet, however, a rock smashed through Ichigo's bedroom window, striking Hitsugaya on the head before plopping onto the bedspread as shattered glass scattered across the floor.

"T-Toshiro!" Ichigo spluttered, horrorstruck. "Are you alright?" He seized the smaller boy by the shoulders, patting his head frantically in an attempt to discover if there was any swelling or bleeding. "Are you hurt?"

Hitsugaya seemed relatively unhurt, but boy, did he look pissed off.

Ichigo ran to the now broken window, thrusting it open and sticking his head outside. "Asshole!" he screamed at the people below, "The hell was that for!? You nearly killed Toshiro, you know that!? Who the hell throws _rocks_ into other people's windows, huh!?"

"Sorry, Ichigo!" came the shout in reply, and blinking, Ichigo looked down to see Keigo and Mizuiro in the street. "I was throwing pebbles but I figured they weren't enough to get your attention 'cause you weren't responding," Keigo explained, "So I threw a rock instead. Who's 'Toshiro', anyway?"

"None of your business," the pissed off strawberry huffed. "You're paying for my new window."

"Who's Toshiro?" Keigo insisted, "Why're you so stingy, huh? Aha! I get it! He's some kind of cute new kid, right!? And you want to keep him all to yourself, right!? Right!?"

"He says it's none of your business, so it's none of your business, Asano-san," Mizuiro muttered, not looking up from the phone he was fiddling with.

"It's not fair!" Keigo shrieked, jabbing an accusing finger at Ichigo, "Why do you get to keep all the cuties, like Orihime-chan!?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo shouted, "Whoever said Toshiro was a 'cutie,' huh!?" He paused, turning to look at Hitsugaya, who was still fuming and nursing his sore head, "I mean, uh…Not that you _aren't_ cute, Toshiro, 'cause you really are."

"Shut it, strawberry," Hitsugaya snarled.

"I can hear you!" Keigo screamed. "See? I knew it!"

"Can we come in, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked, "Asano-san needs help with his homework and I'm a little too busy to help him."

"Then why don't you ask Ishida?"

"That glasses freak!?" Keigo interrupted, "No way! He scares me!"

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya warned, crossing his arms over his chest, "I will _not_ be seen by your classmates in female clothing."

"Don't worry," Ichigo muttered, "I'll shield you from their pig-headed-ness. Besides, it's the fashion in the real world for guys. You look fine in anything you wear, anyway."

"Liar. _You _don't dress like this. Flattery will get you nowhere."

"That's because I don't like following the trends," Ichigo shrugged, before leaning back out the window. "Alright," he shouted, "Come on in, you two. Just walk in the front door and come up to my room. And _don't _touch anything, you hear me?" he demanded, this comment more directed towards Keigo.

The brown-haired student saluted before scurrying inside, babbling with excitement, followed by Mizuiro who seemed unconcerned for his companion's hyperactive behavior.

Moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Keigo skipped in, Mizuiro entering shortly after as he closed the door behind him.

"Is that him?" Keigo asked, pointing at Hitsugaya. "Is that this 'Toshiro' person?"

Ichigo nodded, and Keigo beamed, sticking his hand out for a shake. "Asano Keigo," he grinned.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro," Hitsugaya grumbled, staring at the offending hand as if were some kind of mutant hollow that had sprung from the depths of Hueco Mundo.

Keigo blinked, staring at the white-haired boy for a moment. "Are you wearing…girl's clothes?"

There was a deathly silence.

"Hey, leave him alone," Ichigo growled, "I let you in for homework purposes, not to stare at Toshiro like he's a freak show or something."

"I was right!" his classmate shrieked, "He _is_ wearing girl's clothes! That's…That's so _cute_!" he squealed, flinging his arms around the horrified Hitsugaya. "You're almost as cute as Orihime-chan!"

"Hands off!" the infuriated strawberry snarled, seizing Keigo by the back of his shirt and jerking him away from his unfortunate victim. "Get serious or get out!"

"Fine, fine," Keigo sighed, pulling out a stack of papers and thrusting them at Ichigo. "Here."

"I'm not going to _do_ them for you," Ichigo snorted, "I just said I'd _help_."

Keigo, however, didn't seem to be listening. Instead, he was glancing back at Hitsugaya, who looked extremely grumpy with his arms folded over his chest in a vain attempt to at least somewhat hide the clothing he was dressed in.

"Are you single, Toshiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya blinked, and Ichigo scowled.

"I…"

"He's married," Ichigo interrupted bitterly. "So shut up and leave him alone."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he glanced towards Ichigo.

"Seriously?" Keigo asked, "You're really…?"

"I said, _shut up_," the orange-haired teen snapped. "Look, Keigo. Just…Just go home, will you?"

"B-But Ichigo!"

One glare from the strawberry was all it took for Keigo to squeak in compliance as he scurried out the door, followed shortly afterwards by Mizuiro.

There was a deathly silence following their departure.

"Ichigo…" Hitsugaya finally spoke, "How did you know?"

"Sojiro told me," he grumbled. "In fact, he seemed more than happy to rub it in."

"I'm sorry," the snow-haired prodigy apologized. He didn't know what else to do in a situation as complicated as this. "I…I'm so sorry…"

"Don't apologize," Ichigo muttered, turning away from Hitsugaya, trying to stop his voice from breaking or faltering. "I mean…If you're happy, then I'm happy. If you still loved Sojiro more than me…then…Well, that's cool, I guess."

"I didn't know that I'd see you again," Hitsugaya answered, "If I had known, I wouldn't have…"

"Yeah, whatever, Toshiro," the strawberry answered dismissively. "Let's not talk about it, okay? It's just going to make you upset and piss me off. Besides, there's something about Sojiro that you need to know, and that I've been meaning to tell you for a long time."


	16. Stalemate and Checkmate

Author's Note: I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever! I'm in Beijing, China right now for the Olympics (the opening ceremony was AMAZING!), and also to visit my relatives! I was unable to get my hands on a computer with internet access until now, the internet café down the street from my grandma's house is always super-crowded and I finally got a space. I brought my jump drive, too, with my new chapters for uploading, teehee. This chapter kind of sucks, though, so sorry about that. It's mostly talk with little action and my sad attempt at a twist here and there, and it ends on a lame cliffhanger.

* * *

"So, it appears your little escape plan failed," Aizen spoke from his position at his throne, looking scornfully down at Kusaka, who had been brought in only a few minutes ago by those who had been sent to capture him. "…Or, perhaps not entirely. Where's little Hitsugaya-kun?"

"He 'scaped," Ichimaru explained, the usual smile stretched across his lips. "Real shame, ain't it, Sojiro-kun? He ran away, jus' like that, an' abandoned you. Awful mean of him."

"He didn't _abandon_ me," Kusaka retorted venomously. "I _told_ him to run."

"Still," Aizen interrupted, "I'm very disappointed in you, Sojiro-kun. I had been expecting you to behave yourself better than this. I'm afraid a punishment is in order."

Kusaka said nothing, and the silence in the room was deathly.

"On second thought, perhaps I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself," Aizen continued, breaking the uncomfortable pause. "Would you like to be given one such chance, Sojiro-kun?"

Again, Kusaka said nothing.

"So you're not going to answer me? Well, believe me, Sojiro-kun, you _do_ want to take advantage of this chance. Listen closely, now. I'll allow you to go to the real world to retrieve Hitsugaya-kun and bring him back to me. I promise not to hurt you nor him, assuming you succeed. If you refuse, then I'll send an Espada to fetch him…and it won't be very pretty for him at all. What do you say?"

"I refuse," Kusaka snarled promptly, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were a ghastly white.

"Very well, then," Aizen answered stonily, no longer smiling. He snapped his fingers, and, right on cue, a group of Espada appeared by his throne. "Go to the real world," he ordered, "And hunt down Hitsugaya-kun. Bring him back to me, and kill the subsitute shinigami if he tries to protect him. Do whatever you see fit, but remember, we want Hitsugaya-kun to be alive when he returns...so don't have too much fun with him."

Snickering, the group turned to leave. Kusaka promptly panicked.

"Wait!" he suddenly interrupted, "I...I'll go."

The smile now once again visible in his features, Aizen raised his hand, gesturing for his Espada to return. "Good," he smiled, "It appears Sojiro-kun has made the right choice. I assume you already know how to create a dimensional rip, so I will allow you to go ahead and leave now. If you fail to return...Let's say I won't be very happy."

Gritting his teeth and sending a final cold glare in Aizen's direction, Kusaka firmly stated, "Just to let you know, ahead of time, Aizen, don't think I'll be letting you lay so much as a finger on Toshiro, even if I do bring him back to this place," before he disappeared.

* * *

"...And that's how it was, I guess."

There was a long silence following the conclusion of Ichigo's silence, neither the strawberry nor Hitsugaya quite willing to keep the grim conversation going.

"So, you're saying that Soul Society is denying the fact that Kusaka even existed?" Hitsugaya finally spoke.

"Looks like it."

"Why would they do that?" the former captain of the tenth division demanded indignantly, "Why would they do something like that?"

"I don't know," Ichigo answered, "I'm not sure about the details, Toshiro, I'm just telling you what I know. I'm assuming they wanted to cover up the real reason why he died, to avoid looking corrupt and being protested against. Not that a protest would be tolerated, anyway."

"So it was my fault," Hitsugaya murmured softly, "If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't have..."

"Toshiro, stop it," Ichigo insisted firmly seating himself on the bed next to the child prodigy. "It wasn't your fault. You're always, always, always blaming yourself for things that happen to other people. You had nothing to do with his execution, understand? I'll repeat myself...It was _not_ your fault. Alright?"

Hitsugaya did not seemed to be buying this, even for one second. With a sigh and running his hands through his hair in frustration, Ichigo opened his mouth to try again. The white-haired boy was just too stubborn at times. "Look-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interuppted by the sound of his bedroom window opening. Alarmed, wondering who it could possibly be, both he and Hitsugaya turned to look at the source of the sound.

They were both suprised to see Kusaka there.

"Oh," Ichigo stated bluntly, turning away. "It's you."

"Kusaka?" Hitsugaya said, seeming to be in a momentary state of disbelief. "Kusaka, you're alright? You made it..." His words, however, trailed off as he noticed that something wasn't quite right.

The raven-haired man slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry," he answered, "I really am, Toshiro, but I got taken back to Las Noches. Aizen instructed me to go after you and bring you back to Hueco Mundo. I didn't want to, but..."

"But you're a selfish bastard and you were only trying to save your own skin!" Ichigo interuppted angrily, standing up suddenly. "Look, Sojiro, Toshiro's not going anywhere with you, let alone Hueco Mundo, you got it? So go back without him and face whatever Aizen threatened to do to you like a man."

"As usual, you're blathering without any sense at all," Kusaka answered coldly, stepping through the window, his steely eyes now fixed on Ichigo. "You have no idea what's going on, and yet you assume you do. That's why you need to learn your place. You know you're jealous of me, Kurosaki Ichigo..."

"Listen, you," Ichigo growled, irritated. The guy had just stepped through the window a few moments ago, and already, they were arguing. This didn't seem like the Kusaka he had met months ago in Hueco Mundo. This seemed like an entirely different person. "Why the hell would I be jealous of a selfish, possesive piece of-"

"Because," Kusaka answered matter-of-factly, "Because you're not good enough for Toshiro."

"What did you say!?" Ichigo snarled, taking a step forward.

"Stop it, you two," Hitsugaya snapped, also getting irritated. By now, the atmosphere in the room was so tense it was hard to breathe. "Ichigo, let him explain the situation. It's immature and impractical to argue when we have no idea what's going on."

"Right, so take his side," Ichigo snapped, "You never told me you liked him more than me, so just admit that you do already!"

"That's not the point!" Hitsugaya retorted, "I'm just saying that-"

"Let's go, Toshiro," Kusaka interjected, gripping the white-haired boy's shoulder and pulling him towards the window. "We don't need to waste any more time here."

"Let go of him!" the strawberry shouted angrily, grabbing Kusaka's wrist and shoving it off of Hitsugaya's shoulder. "You think I'm going to let you take him back to Hueco Mundo!? You think I'm going to let you take him back to Aizen!? Well, you're completely fucking wrong!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Kusaka retorted fiercely. "I don't care what happens to me. What I care about is what Aizen will do to Toshiro if I don't bring him back. Like I said, you don't even know what's going on. Would you rather have me bring him back, or an Espada who doesn't give a shit about him, huh? I'm not going to hurt him like you probably think I am, or let Aizen hurt him for that matter. It's for his own good, so I suggest you back down now, or I'll make you," he finished, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana.

"You..." Ichigo growled, his teeth clenched. He opened and closed his mouth, seeming to be able to come up with a reply before he finally spluttered, "You...You coward! So you're just going to bring him back and think nothing's going to happen to him!? You're just going to try to take the easy way out, aren't you!? I don't care if you think it's for Toshiro's own good, I'm not letting you take him anywhere! If the Espada come after him, then I'll beat them down! Isn't that what you should do, too, Sojiro!? You said you wanted to protect Toshiro, so do it! Bringing him back to Hueco Mundo, no matter what Aizen's promised you, isn't going to do shit for you, him, or anyone else! You realize that, don't you, Sojiro? Come on. I know you're not that stupid."

Ichigo was right, and Kusaka was aware of this. He, however, seemed reluctant to take the advice of the strawberry, given the unhappy feelings that seemed to flow between them. He turned to Hitsugaya, before breaking the stagnant pause that followed Ichigo's angry monologue.

"Fine," he answered at last, "But I'm doing this for Toshiro's sake, not because you told me to."

"Are you sure about this, Kusaka?" Hitsugaya, who had been silent for the past few minutes, interjected. "I don't want to burden either of you..."

"It's annoying, but I hate to admit that Ichigo-kun's right," Kusaka sighed, "You'll stay here, Toshiro, where it's the safest for you to be."

"And what about you?"

"I'll be here, too, with you and Ichigo-kun. Otherwise, how else would I protect you?"

Their exhange, however, turned to be brief as they were interrupted by a shift of the reiatsu in the air. All three of the room's occupants seemed to be alarmed at this, but Ichigo relaxed upon realizing this reiatsu was a shinigami's and posed him no threat.

He rose from his seat on the bed, moving towards the window and looking out to see Renji standing at the base of the house, alongside his captain, Byakuya, as well as the sotaichou, Yamamoto, and several subordinates from each respective division.

"Renji?" Ichigo blinked, "What're you doing here? And what's with all the other people."

"Isn't it obvious?" the redhead called back up, "We've heard about the situation from Matsumoto, and we've come to take care of it, of course.."

"Take care of it?" Ichigo repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious, Ichigo?" Renji replied bluntly, "We're here to arrest the traitor and wanted criminal, Kusaka Sojiro."


	17. Optimisim

Author's Note: Oh, no, last chapter ended in a cliff-hanger! "What's going to happen!?" you ask? You'll find out soon enough. In other, real-life news, Beijing is wonderful so far. I'm really looking forward to going home in Taipei, though. Sorry this chapter is so short, I wrote it on my laptop after I came back from the Men's 110m/hurdles event. I'm still really upset about what happened with Liu Xiang. I got tickets just to see Xiang, and he couldn't even race…

* * *

"What did you say?"

There was an uncomfortable silence as Ichigo stared blankly down at the group of shinigami who had just recently arrived outside of his bedroom window. Finally, Renji repeated himself.

"I'm pretty sure you heard me, Ichigo," the redhead spoke, "But just in case, I'll repeat myself. We're here to arrest Kusaka Sojiro."

"It's as Abarai-fukutaichou says," Yamamoto spoke, "Matsumoto-fukutaichou came to me in a state of panic early this morning, and informed me of the entire situation, including the previous week's occurrences during the infiltration of the Seireitei by the two sent from Hueco Mundo, that is, Kusaka Sojiro and his accomplice, former tenth division captain Hitsugaya Toshiro. As Hitsugaya has resigned his position and career as a soul reaper, he is no longer any of our concern. The same would apply to Kusaka Sojiro, but as you can see, his situation is different."

"What do you mean by that?" Hitsugaya demanded, moving to the window next to Ichigo to face the shinigami below. "You've done enough to Kusaka, what more do you want from him!?"

"According to our records, as I'm sure you all know, Kusaka Sojiro did not exist, nor will he continue to do so," Yamamoto answered. "You must understand, Hitsugaya Toshiro, that his appearance means trouble. We wouldn't want that troublesome fiasco of what happened fifty years ago to come to the surface, would we? No other member of the Gotei 13 must know about Kusaka Sojiro. Not only is he a traitor who has sided with Aizen, but the fact that he is still alive is a problem itself. Unfortunately, a formal execution at the Sokyoku to make sure he will not be of any further bother is out of the question. It would attract too much attention. Thus, we will hold him in the first division detention center until Central 46 has determined what is to be done"

"Further bother?" Hitsugaya repeated, his voice rising, "Sotaichou, forgive me if it's too bold of me to say, but I will _not_ tolerate you to speak of Kusaka as if he's a mere annoyance! He is _not_ a traitor, either. I've been with him in Hueco Mundo, sotaichou, and I can assure you that he would never do anything to harm Soul Society. He-"

"It's difficult for you to accept, we know, but you must understand that our reputation is at stake so long as he is alive."

"All you care about is your reputation!" Hitsugaya retorted, "You'd take Kusaka's life – again- just for your reputation!?"

"That's enough!" Yamamoto barked angrily, slamming his cane downwards onto the ground. "Hold your tongue, Hitsugaya. If you are unwilling to hand over Kusaka Sojiro, then we will get you out of the way with force."

With a small snarl, Hitsugaya's hand was instantly at Hyorinmaru's hilt. Before he could do anything else, however, he was stopped by Kusaka's hand on top of his.

"Don't, Toshiro," he spoke in a low voice, "It's not worth it. I'll go with them, if that's what they want."

"Kusaka-"

As the taller raven-haired youth made his way towards the window, Hitsugaya reached out to grab him by the arm.

"Kusaka, please, don't make me lose you for the third time," he insisted in a pleading voice that seemed almost desperate, "I'm-"

"Let him go, Toshiro," Ichigo interrupted, placing a hand on the white-haired ex-captain's shoulder, "If it's what he wants, then let him do it."

"You're going to let them take him away?" Hitsugaya protested, "Ichigo, why-"

"It's okay. Don't worry," the strawberry insisted firmly, "We'll get him out of this. Don't worry. He'll be safer in Soul Society anyway, away from Aizen, as will you."

"But still…"

"Don't you see, Toshiro?" Ichigo continued quietly, out of the earshot of the shinigami waiting below, "He knows what he's doing. It's apparent that Aizen is going to make his move soon, and he figured things would be safer in Soul Society where there are more shinigami to fight against him. I bet he's thinking that you'll go to Soul Society with him, too, where you'll be safer. You see? He's trying to protect you like he promised. When the time comes, we'll get him out. Don't worry about it."

"Ichigo…"

"We'll get out of this," the orange-haired teen assured, "I promise you that."

With a brief nod, Kusaka turned to the two. "I'll meet up with you two later," he added, "And don't forget, Ichigo-kun…If something happens before you two make it to Soul Society, you have to do your best to make sure Toshiro stays safe."

"Definitely," Ichigo nodded. "You take care, alright, Sojiro?"

"You too," Kusaka answered, reaching out to give Hitsugaya's hand a final squeeze. "Don't worry about me, Toshiro. Just stay safe."

Nodding weakly, Hitsugaya watched silently as Kusaka disappeared out the window. He appeared moments later among the group of shinigami that had come to arrest them, before the group then disappeared again.

This was followed by a painful silence.

"Well, I guess we should get going, too," Ichigo offered, trying to loosen the tension in the room. "Urahara-san has a way to get to Soul Society from his store. We should get there before something bad happens."

"Ichigo.,.?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something you need to know, Ichigo," Hitsugaya spoke quietly.

"Well?" the strawberry replied, looking a little confused, "What is it, then?"

"Aizen's not after Soul Society," the small wielder of Hyorinmaru spoke, "It's you he's after, Ichigo. He'd do anything to see you dead. He wants revenge, I suppose…since it was mainly your doing that he was unable to take over Soul Society."

"Me?" Ichigo snorted jokingly, "Am I really that special?"

Hitsugaya's face, however, told him that this was far from a joking matter. With a sigh, the strawberry reached outwards to rumple Hitsugaya's snowy white locks.

"Like I said, don't worry," he insisted, "I won't let him get me that easily."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," the strawberry chuckled, "I beat him once and I'll do it again."

"Then I'll help you," Hitsugaya insisted. "Even though I said I resigned my position as a soul reaper, the sotaichou has neglected to take away my zanpaku-to so far."

"I'd rather you not," Ichigo answered, "Remember? I promised Sojiro I'd keep you safe. If you fight Aizen with me, who knows what will happen. I mean, what if neither of us are strong enough? Then I don't know what he'd do to you."

"So you're saying you can't beat him, aren't you, Ichigo?"

"Oh, come on, Toshiro. I'm only stating a hypothetical situation. Don't be so pessimistic. I'll definitely beat him this time. I promise you that."

"You'd better mean it," Hitsugaya snorted with a roll of his eyes. Despite the sarcasm, though, Ichigo couldn't help but smile. _Good_, he thought to himself, _Now you're starting to sound like the Toshiro I know._

"Anyway, we'd better get going," he spoke, "I know the way to Urahara's shop from here, it won't take long at all. The sooner we get to Soul Society, the sooner we can figure out how to get Sojiro-kun free."

Nodding, Hitsugaya followed Ichigo out the door and down the staircase, heading towards the front door of the house. They walked in silence down the sidewalk, heading to Urahara's shop. As Ichigo had previously said, it didn't take very long to arrive.

They were welcomed curtly by Urahara in his usual nonchalant fashion, before they were led to the underground room in which he could transport people to the necessary dimension.

With a small pang, Ichigo remembered how he had come here by himself not too long ago, trying to get to Hueco Mundo and being unable to do so. _This time,_ he told himself firmly, _This time I'll definitely make sure Toshiro doesn't get hurt._

They then stepped into the gate, becoming enveloped in the darkness of the transitional world as they hurried along.

Glancing at Hitsugaya, who seemed a little worried as they ran, Ichigo couldn't help but ask. "What's up, Toshiro? Is something on your mind."

"Not really," Hitsugaya answered, "I'm just concerned that I'll be treated as a ryoka when we arrive in the Seireitei. After all, those who are not nobles or shinigami don't belong in there. Technically speaking, since I resigned, I am no longer a soul reaper."

"Don't make me repeat myself for the hundredth time," Ichigo retorted, "It'll be alright, okay? We'll sort this all out eventually, right?"

With a brief nod, Hitsugaya turned his attention from Ichigo back to the space in front of himself. The small light at the end of the pathway was expanding, until finally, they found themselves stepping into Soul Society for the first time in a while.

* * *

Author's Note: Look forward to the next chapter, guys! It might take me a while, since it'll be a little longer, but it's going to be super-epic and contain the final showdowns and confrontations between our heroes and Aizen and company. Which reminds me, next chapter will be second-to-last! Next chapter, I'll also reveal a bit about my next IchiHitsu fic.


	18. An Absence of Hope

Author's Note: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in such a long time, I've been really busy lately, and I admit that I actually did forget about this fic for a while. I'm going to finish it now, though, and I also have a few one-shots up my sleeve that I'll be posting throughout winter, and I may even start a new fic soon. I have a few ideas in my mind, probably an AU. To make up for my lack of update, this chapter is going to be super-epic. Yay!

* * *

After stepping into Soul Society, despite the fact that he was no longer a captain of the Gotei 13, Ichigo noted that Hitsugaya sure liked to act as if he still was one. He could see this in the way that upon arrival, the boy promptly began to analyze the situation, giving out orders as if he was talking to a group of subordinates.

"Ichigo, you go on ahead and free Kusaka," Hitsugaya spoke, "Like they said, they should be holding him in the first division's detention center – security there is particularly tight, so be careful. It's just up ahead, you can get there within ten minutes if you keep a good pace."

"Got it," Ichigo nodded, "And what about you? What're you going to be doing?"

"I'm going to my office," the white-haired former captain answered as-a-matter-of-factly, "I need to have Matsumoto informed of the situation and have her organize a guard unit. There's no doubt that Aizen won't be happy as soon as he finds out that Kusaka and I aren't going to be coming back anytime soon. To track us down and find us here would be beyond easy for him. Soul Society needs to be ready."

"Alright," the strawberry answered, "I'll come find you there when I'm done, then."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Be careful, Ichigo."

"You too."

And with that, the two boys split paths, each going their separate way to carry out the tasks they had been designated to. Speed and efficiency was crucial at a time like this, and sticking together would not do.

With the use of shunpo, Hitsugaya was able to reach his office fairly quickly. He thrust the doors open. As he expected, they were not locked. Also as expected, Matsumoto was present, but she was doing something he had not expected – filling out paperwork.

The strawberry-blonde woman instantly looked up from her work, her grey eyes widening in the slightest.

"T-Taichou!" she exclaimed, "You…"

"Save it for later," Hitsugaya cut her off swiftly, "There's something important you need to know."

"I-I'm sorry, taichou," the woman repeated apologetically, "I shouldn't have told them about you and Sojiro-kun…I didn't know it would end up like this. I only wanted them to rescue you-"

"I know, I know," Hitsugaya interrupted again, "But really, Matsumoto, there's something I need to tell you, and I need to tell you _now_. Anything else you need to say to me, say it later."

"I'm all ears, taichou."

The former captain of the tenth division was quick to state what needed to be said, nor did he bother with unnecessary details.

"Aizen is on his way to Soul Society."

"B-But why? What does he want? Is planning to take you back to Hueco Mundo?"

"That is not his immediate motive," Hitsugaya answered briefly, "Who he really wants is Ichigo – and he wants him dead. Matsumoto, I have no authority to command you or any other member of this division anymore, as I am no longer your captain. There is one favor that I must ask of you, though."

"And what is that?" she inquired, "Anything, taichou. Ask me anything."

"I want you to organize a guard unit," he instructed promptly, "I want seated officers sent to protect Ichigo immediately. Find some others who aren't doing anything else and have them alert every other division of this matter. Make sure that they know what is expected of them – failure is _not_ an option. Failure means death for not just us, not just them, not just Ichigo…but for all of Soul Society."

"Yes, sir."

"If anyone sees Aizen, they are to call for reinforcement immediately. I don't want anyone fighting him alone, especially if they aren't seated officers. They won't even last a second. Aizen is stronger than we've last seen, Matsumoto. He's beyond the power of a normal captain now. His Espada, too, have developed and become stronger than anyone could have planned. He's been planning this for a long time, Matsumoto, and he's been waiting to make his move. Now is the time for him to do what he's been meaning to…"

"How funny you should be speaking of me, Hitsugaya-kun. Isn't it funny how the world works? It's quite a coincidence that I arrive in the middle of your speech, isn't it? I _am_ flattered by your compliments on my strength, though."

Both shinigami froze at the sound of the voice, before Hitsugaya's head whipped around to face the man. Aizen himself stood there, with the usual maddeningly lucid smile he always had spread across his lips.

"A…Aizen…"

Hitsugaya's heart was pounding in his chest. How had he realized that he and Kusaka were not planning on coming back and how had he found him so quickly? How had he come in without them noticing?

He could tell that the man's eyes were now fixed on Matsumoto, who seemed paralyzed with fear.

"Loyal as ever, aren't you, Matsumoto-san?" he spoke, taking a step towards the strawberry blonde woman. "You know very well little Hitsugaya-kun is no longer your captain, and yet, you still follow his orders. Let me tell you something, sweetheart," he smiled, taking yet another step closer, "From now on, you don't follow anyone's orders but _mine_. I am your captain now. I am _everyone's_ captain now. Soul Society has no choice but to bow to me."

"What do you want with her!?" Hitsugaya demanded, planting himself in front of his former fukutaichou. "If you lay a finger on her, Aizen, I swear, I will-"

"You'll what?" Aizen smiled, "You'll kill me? Again with that meaningless threat of yours, Hitsugaya-kun. Don't you know by now that you can't even scratch me? Besides, if Matsumoto-san is to do as you asked her and tell everyone of my presence…then my plans wouldn't work out very well, would they?"

"You-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Aizen was gone, and the next moment later, he was right behind the boy, one arm wrapped around his waist, the other around his throat.

"I'm tired of you trying to be a little hero, Hitsugaya-kun. You're weak. You can't save anyone. Not Matsumoto-san, not Sojiro-kun, not Soul Society…and certainly not even Ichigo-kun."

He threw the boy away from him with vicious force, causing his body to slam into the ground. With a gasp of pain, Hitsugaya hit the floor hard with a sickening crack.

"T-Taichou!" Matsumoto screamed, moving forward to her captain's aid.

"No, Matsumoto! Stay back!"

"It's no use," Aizen smirked, "Nothing either of you do will be of any use."

There was a flash of steel, a ribbon of blood splattering to the floor.

Matsumoto slumped to the floor, blood pooling rapidly around her motionless form.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he saw her go down, a horrified gasp escaping from his lips as the scene was unraveled before his very eyes.

"_Matsumoto!"_

He scrambled to his feet, running to her side, grasping at the front of her robes, trying to find the site of the wound in attempt to stop the bleeding. He didn't get very far with these efforts, as Aizen reached downwards, seizing a fistful of the snowy locks.

With a yelp of pain, Hitsugaya felt himself being jerked off of his feet and into the air so that he was now eye-to-eye with the very man who had betrayed Soul Society months ago and was now back to plow into the dust.

"Likewise for you, Hitsugaya-kun, you are to follow _my_ orders from this point forward."

"I will not," the prodigy snarled viciously, jerking himself out of Aizen's grasp.

"That doesn't matter," Aizen smiled, "You will, whether you'd like to or not. Here, let me tell you of what I intend to do now. I'm going to use kido to put you in a trance. While you are under this spell, you will appear to be dead – your pulse, your body temperature, your complexion, your heartbeat – all of it will signify that you are no longer alive. However, you will still be able to use your senses. You will be able to hear and feel, but you will be unable to see or move. You're alive, but you're dead. The trance will not end until I wish it to…But of course, Ichigo-kun will not have to know this."

"What do you mean?" Hitsugaya demanded, "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with Ichigo? What are you going to do to him?"

"So many questions," the brown-haired traitor smirked. "To answer your questions, Hitsugaya-kun, let me just say this. You're a smart boy, you can figure the rest out on your own. Let's just say that I know very well what kind of a person Ichigo-kun is. The more riled up he is, the less likely he is to use good judgment, and the less likely he is to use good judgment, the more reckless he becomes."

"You can't possibly mean that-"

"See? I knew you were smart," Aizen chuckled darkly, "I _do_ mean that I intend for him to fight me, blinded with anger. He'll attack me foolishly. I want this to be as easy as possible. After all, what can make him angrier than seeing your cold, lifeless little body on the ground?"

"Y-You sick bastard!" Hitsugaya choked out, "I won't let you do this! Do you honestly think you can get away with it an expect me to just sit by and do as you like?"

"That's exactly what I expect. You came back to Soul Society for Sojiro-kun's sake, did you not?"

"So what if I did?"

"What would you do…if I told you that my Espada have taken him?"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened again as his horrified gaze fixed itself onto Aizen's smiling face.

"I can have them kill him with the snap of a finger," he continued, "You wouldn't want that now, would you?"

"Don't hurt him," Hitsugaya pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Aizen…"

"Then will you do as I say?"

The white-haired boy faltered. He felt so helpless, so useless. He couldn't protect Matsumoto. He couldn't help Kusaka, or Soul Society, for that matter. And he was about to be the cause of Ichigo's death.

Death? No, he told himself, Ichigo was strong. Stronger than anyone he knew, including himself. He wouldn't get himself killed so easily. He would just have to have faith in the strawberry and trust that he would make it out alive. Otherwise, everyone was doomed.

Slowly, he nodded. "I will," he murmured.

"I knew you'd make the right choice," Aizen answered, before laughing. It wasn't a mere chuckle – it was full out, maniacal laughter, and it scared Hitsugaya half out of his wits.

"When Soul Society becomes mine, I'll reward you for your loyalty, so don't you worry, Hitsugaya-kun," he sneered, "We'll go back to Hueco Mundo together…and you'll be my little queen forever."

Hitsugaya didn't have much time to contemplate this thought, as promptly after, Aizen raised his hand and there was a brilliant flash of light. His surroundings swam in sloppy circles around him before finally, he felt his knees give way as he crumpled to the floor.

And everything was going smoothly, just the way Aizen had wanted and planned.


	19. The Final Fight

Author's Note: Cliff-hanger! Well, I should let you guys know that, quite obviously, this fic is almost over. There will be one more chapter after this one. This will have more action, and the last will kind of wind down to a conclusion. And this one's going to be super-epic and _super-_long, too! Yay! Anyway, thanks to everyone who's been reading this.

* * *

Ichigo had been running for a while now. He wasn't quite sure where he was going, but he never did anyway. He'd just have to do his best to find this detention center or whatever it was.

Then, at that moment, he felt it.

Something was wrong. Really, really, really wrong.

"Toshiro's reiatsu…" he muttered to himself, "…Is gone?"

_Shit_.

Saving Kusaka could wait. He had to get to Hitsugaya right now.

He turned around, running towards the general direction of the tenth division domains as quickly as he could. What was wrong? What was going on? Had Aizen already come? So many questions were flashing in his mind, and yet, he had so little answers. All he knew was that the boy was in trouble.

He'd been to the tenth division office quite a few times. He knew the way there like it was the back of his hand.

Ichigo kept running, Zangetsu thudding uncomfortably against his back.

"Move!" he shouted, shoving past the crowds of shinigami that were lingering near the office. He was almost there. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest as he threw the doors roughly open, dreading what he was going to see.

His eyes caught sight of Matsumoto, lying in the floor in a puddle of blood.

"Rangiku-san…"

Panicking, his eyes flickered across the room, back and forth, promptly widening at the next sight that was waiting to meet his frenzied glance.

Not far from where Matsumoto had fallen lay the motionless form of Hitsugaya Toshiro.

The strawberry froze, his eyes rigid with shock. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words managed to escape past his lips.

"T…Toshiro…" Slowly, he took a step towards the boy's form, forcing himself to move. His legs felt as if they were made of lead. His heart felt cold as ice as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

He dropped to his knees next to the limp body of the child prodigy, a shaking hand reaching out to feel for a pulse, only to receive nothing.

"Please," he murmured, "Please, please don't be dead…You can't be dead…There's just no way this could happen all of a sudden, right?" He repeated this phrase several times in a hollow voice, as if he was in a trance, his trembling hands moving across the boy's body, looking for signs of life. He was beginning to get desperate, and nausea welled up in his chest as kept speaking aloud to an unresponsive audience.

His hand slowly brushed across a pale, stone-clod cheek before moving to the motionless chest. There was no heartbeat. He was not breathing, and he couldn't feel a trace of reiatsu at all.

"No," he whispered, his hands shaking violently. "No, this can't be happening…"

At that moment, a wave of hysteria engulfed him as he seized up the boy's form into his arms.

"_Toshiro!"_

He snapped out of his eerily calm daze, now frantic, screaming the name of his fallen ice prince, his face buried in the snow-white locks as he squeezed the small body close to his chest, clinging onto it for dear life. "Toshiro! No…Toshiro, please! Talk to me!" he screamed, delirious with grief. "Talk to me, Toshiro! You can't do this to me! There's no way you can fucking do this to me!"

All this time, Hitsugaya could feel Ichigo's warmth around him. He could hear his beloved screaming his name over and over again, begging for him to speak to him. He wanted desperately to answer. He could not, no matter how hard he tried, and it was frustratingly heart-breaking.

"What a shame," a voice cut in, and Ichigo froze. "He was such a pretty little thing…"

"Aizen!" Ichigo snarled, turning to face the offender, his desperation melting into sheer rage. "You…You fucking bastard…Did you do this to him!?"

"Of course," Aizen smiled, a wickedly amused smile. "He died on his knees like a dog, begging for his life. It was pathetic, really, seeing him plead like that. Pathetic, but quite satisfying."

"You're lying!" Ichigo ground out through gritted teeth, "He would never…Toshiro would never…"

"He asked me to spare his life," the traitor went on, obviously enjoying this, "He asked for me to spare yours, too, and even offered me an eternity of servitude. Of course, I gave him no such quarter, nor do I intend to grant his last wish of letting you live, Ichigo-kun. I took out his soul – he died in excruciating pain and shame."

"You…"

"Oh, don't worry. The last word that fell from his pretty little lips was your name," Aizen continued, "That's quite romantic, isn't it?"

"You…You son of a bitch!" Ichigo screamed hoarsely, standing up abruptly, jerking Zangetsu roughly from his back with a single movement. "I…I'm going to kill you!"

He threw himself at Aizen without even thinking, hacking madly at the air as if he had gone crazy. He didn't care about the small details, all he wanted to do was tear the fucker limb from limb and slash him into pieces.

Things were going just as Aizen planned.

He drew his katana, parrying each vicious, enraged blow Ichigo sent at him with ease. The teen was too infuriated to think straight. He was just going on an all-out, mindless rampage.

"Bankai!" he shouted hoarsely, and as his reaitsu exploded violently around him. This was just enough to make Aizen take a step back as the katana slimmed in the enraged teen's hand.

Ichigo had completely lost it by now. He slammed Zangetsu against Aizen's katana over and over again, ignoring the pain from each blow that would land on his body. He didn't know if he was even making any hits, to be honest. All he could see was red; whether it was from his sheer fury or from the blood dripping from his forehead into his eyes was not something he could figure out, nor did he care.

During this time, Hitsugaya was one-hundred percent aware of what was going on around him. Ichigo was being beaten down; this he could tell by the fluctuations in the strawberry's reiatsu. There was nothing he could do to stop this. Ichigo was going to die while he lay there helplessly useless on the floor. A tear slid past the dark lashes, slowly trickling down the cold cheek before turning to ice and shattering on the ground.

Seconds later, Ichigo felt a sharp pain in his lower body, then his chest. He coughed, tasting blood and feeling it ooze past his lips, as exhausted, he sank weakly to his knees, panting heavily. His right hand was clutching Zangetsu so tightly that his knuckles had turned a ghastly white, while his free hand was pressed pathetically to the fresh wounds on his chest in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Look at you," Aizen spoke calmly smiling down at Ichigo. "On your knees, bleeding to death…I can heal you, if you'd like me to. Do you wish to beg me? Beg and die like a coward, just like your precious little Hitsugaya-kun did?"

"Bastard," Ichigo snarled, his eyes burning with hatred as he glared daggers at the man standing over him.

_Move!_ He screamed at himself mentally. He felt like he was trapped underwater, immobile, his vision cloudy and hazed with a sickening red hue. _Move! Move, you freaking idiot! Move! _

"No?" Aizen chuckled, raising his katana. "Oh, well. It doesn't matter to me. Either way, you'll die a pathetic death."

_Shit! Why won't my body move!? God damn…it can't end like this…it can't…This isn't how it's fucking supposed to end!_

"Goodbye, Ichigo-kun. It was quite interesting to see you develop your strength over the months…but this is as far as you go. The good news is, you'll be with Hitsugaya-kun now…forever."

With a dark chuckle, the man raised his katana, before slowly, oh-so-slowly, bringing it down towards the immobile teen's head.

There was a fierce burst of icy reiatsu, a flash of movement, and the sharp, grating sound of steel meeting steel.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he opened and closed his mouth stupidly before registering who his rescuer was.

"T…Toshiro!?"

He blinked furiously. Was he hallucinating? Was he dead and imagining things?

"Toshiro, you…I thought you were…"

"It's alright, Ichigo," the white-haired former captain answered slowly, "It's complicated…but I promise I'll explain later."

Aizen was no longer smiling. In fact, the smug smirk had been wiped clean off of his face. "Well, I'll admit I wasn't expecting you to release your reiatsu to break my spell," he spoke, "But it doesn't make a difference. After all, you knew what would happen if you disobeyed me. I suppose you don't value Sojiro-kun's life at all. Now, you'll watch me make the order to kill him, while-"

"While what?"

Aizen, Hitsugaya, and Ichigo all froze at the sound of the familiar voice, their gazes traveling to the open door where a fourth figure stood to join the fray.

"I'm interested to know, Aizen," spoke none other than Kusaka Sojiro himself, "What exactly do you expect your Espada to do to me if they're dead?"

"Kusaka!" Hitsugaya breathed, "You're okay…"

The raven-haired man crossed the room towards the three, his hand on the hilt of his katana. "You've gone too far, Aizen," he continued in a low voice. "To hurt Ichigo-kun and Matsumoto-san is one thing…but to use Toshiro as your little tool is a whole different story."

He unsheathed his katana, facing Aizen. "Shall we, Ichigo-kun?"

The strawberry nodded, forcing himself to his feet. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Wait!" Hitsugaya insisted, "I'll fight with you, too."

Kusaka shook his head. "Stay back and help Matsumoto-san, Toshiro," he answered calmly, "Let Ichigo-kun and I take care of this bastard. After all, you're the only one of us who even remotely knows how to use medical kido."

With a brief nod, Hitsugaya hurried to Matsumoto's side, kneeling next to her, a hand moving to feel her chest. Good, she was still breathing, but he'd have to work fast. As he slowly began the healing process with the respective kido spell, the sounds of katana clashing against katana soon began to erupt in the room around him.

"Taichou…?"

Hitsugaya looked down, beyond relieved to see his former fukutaichou groggily open her eyes. "Taichou, is everything…is everything alright?"

"Quiet," the emerald-eyed boy ordered. "Relax, Matsumoto. It's going to be okay."

The strawberry-blonde woman nodded weakly before closing her eyes again, allowing her ex-captain to painstakingly heal the wounds that had been inflicted upon her by the man Ichigo and Kusaka were fighting.

"What do you plan on doing now, Aizen?" Ichigo demanded fiercely as the former captain of the fifth division was driven back against the wall, "Now that you've got nowhere to run?"

"All of Soul Society knows that you're here," Kusaka added, "Your Arrancar and your accomplices are being slaughtered."

At these words, Matsumoto sat straight up, a gasp escaping her lips. "I…I have to go somewhere," she muttered hurriedly. "I'm sorry, taichou. If you'll excuse me."

"Matsumoto, wait! Your wounds aren't fully-"

But she was already gone, running out the door as fast as she could.

"That crazy woman," Hitsugaya sighed, shaking his head. "Never listened to me and never will."

There's nothing else you can do. We're not as messed up in the head as you are," Kusaka continued, facing Aizen with a stony face. "Surrender, and we'll spare your life."

"You think you've caught me?" Aizen chuckled, "You think you've cornered me? You think I need your mercy?"

"What's so funny?" the second weilder of Hyorinmaru demanded, his tone suspicious.

"This," Aizen sneered. He slammed his katana against Kusaka's, shoving the young man back forcefully before disappearing with the use of shunpo, reappearing a nanosecond later behind Hitsugaya.

The aquamarine eyes widened, and before he could react, Hitsugaya found himself once again caught in Aizen's hold, a katana held against his throat. He could feel the cool metal resting against his flesh. One single movement, and his throat would be slit.

"Don't move, either of you two," Aizen ordered, facing Ichigo and Kusaka. "One little mistake, and your precious little tenth-division captain dies."

"You…You bastard!" Ichigo shouted, "Get your filthy hands off of him!"

"Drop your swords, Ichigo-kun, Kusaka-kun."

Through gritted teeth, Ichigo slowly lowered his katana, watching Kusaka do the same out of the corner of his eye. He was about to drop the weapon to the floor, when suddenly, Hitsugaya twisted violently in Aizen's grip, elbowing the man in the stomach and ducking out of his grasp when the man recoiled in pain.

"I will _not_ allow you to use me as your bait anymore!" he growled, now unsheathing his katana. "I am not your possession, Aizen, and you have no right to treat me as if I am."

"You little bitch," Aizen growled, no longer smiling, "You _are_ mine, Hitsugaya-kun. You always have been, and you always will." He brought his katana across the boy's body, and with a gasp of pain, Hitsugaya collapsed to the floor, completely caught off guard as Hyorinmaru clattered uselessly from his hand.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo shouted, "H-Hang in there, I'm coming!"

"I'm tired of your disobedience, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen continued, his lips curled in an unpleasant sneer, bringing his foot down on the defenseless prodigy's throat, cutting off his breathing.

Hitsugaya choked, writhing under Aizen's foot, grasping desperately at it, trying to shove him off of himself.

"You bastard! Get off of him!" Ichigo roared, taking a wild swing at Aizen, who blocked the blow easily, reaching out to catch the blade of Zangetsu.

"…And I already told you what would happen if you disobeyed me, didn't I? These may be different circumstances, but I am a man of my word, and regardless, I intend on doing what I promised I would…"

"N-No…" Hitsugaya gasped, straining against his attacker, "Please…Not him…"

He cried out in pain as the traitor increased the pressure he was exerting upon his throat, cruelly crushing his windpipe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kusaka start forward.

"Kusaka, no!" he screamed frantically, "Don't come any closer-"

It was too late.

Aizen removed his foot from his throat, but the temporary relief came at a terrible price.

There was a flash of movement, a fountain of crimson. Kusaka went down almost instantly, blood splattering across the room. Aizen tore his blade from the raven-haired youth's chest with a sickening sound of tearing flesh and muscle.

"_Kusaka!"_

Hitsugaya scrambled to his feet, rushing to the fallen man's side, clinging at his black shihakusho and flinging his arms around him in desperation. "Kusaka!" he screamed, a hand pressed frantically to the man's chest. "Kusaka, no!"

"It's no good, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen smirked, "Not even Unohana-taichou could save him now. I've torn his heart to pieces."

With a spluttering cough, expelling blood onto the floor, Kusaka looked up at Hitsugaya with cloudy eyes. "Toshiro… I…"

"N-No…" Hitsugaya whispered, his eyes wide with horror. "Kusaka…not again, please…don't leave me again…" His grip tightened on the dying man's body as he went still in his arms.

"Kusaka!" the white-haired boy shrieked, shaking him frantically, "No, no, no! Kusaka! Answer me! Kusaka!"

There was no response, only glassy, lifeless eyes staring blankly back at him.

"No!" Hitsugaya screamed, choking back the sobs as he clung to Kusaka's body, sobbing into his raven-colored hair. "You can't leave me! Please, don't leave me!"

"It's too late," Aizen announced as-a-matter-of-factly, "Sojiro-kun is dead. Don't worry, though. I'll reunite the two of you right this second."

Hitsugaya looked up at Aizen with wide, quivering eyes, his tear-streaked face tilted upwards. The emerald eyes squeezed shut as Aizen swung the katana down towards him.

For the hundredth time that day, there was yet again the sound of the blade tearing through flesh, and Hitsugaya felt hot blood splattering across his face. There was no pain, though – the blood was not his.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, dreading what he was about to see.

In front of him stood Ichigo, who had thrown himself in front of the boy to stop the blow that was meant to kill him. Instead, the katana had gone clean through the strawberry's stomach, protruding out the other end, stained thick with bright crimson blood.

"Ichigo…!" Hitsugaya gasped, his eyes wide. "Why…?"

"Why else?" the orange-haired teen panted heavily, blood oozing past his mouth and trickling across his lips. "I…I love you, Toshiro…"

"Isn't this touching?" Aizen sneered. "Well, I'm sorry to interrupt, but really, I'm quite sure all of you are eager to meet up again in the afterlife, am I right?"

"Wrong," Ichigo replied in a self-satisfied voice, a grin spread across his lips.

Aizen scowled, trying to jerk the katana free of Ichigo's stomach, only to realize that he could not, as the strawberry was gripping the blade with his left hand, refusing to allow the man to pull it loose. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Ichigo ground out, "You're going there for us."

He swung his free hand, which held Zangetsu, upwards in a single movement, bringing it across Aizen's shoulders and through his neck in a swift, forceful movement.

There was a sickening crack, and then Aizen's head dropped to the floor.

The room was silent for a moment. Both boys, as well as the lifeless forms of Kusaka and the now headless Aizen, were still.

Then, Ichigo coughed, stumbling back a step. His eyelids fluttered closed, and then he collapsed backwards into Hitsugaya's waiting arms.


End file.
